One Year
by MiraiYume
Summary: Sequel to To Hold You Close. How long can happiness last? Rogue and Logan may have settled into contentedness but the outside world has many ways of keeping people apart, the least of which is a Virus running rampant through the world.
1. January

Author's Notes: Alright...here we go. I'm really really nervous about this because I'm going to try something (writing-wise) I haven't before. We'll see how it works out. Anyways, welcome to Chapter One of _One Year_, the sequel to _To Hold You Close_! Rogue and Logan are back again with many faces you've seen before and a few you haven't. It's going to be an interesting ride, that's for sure! Um...I'm not one hundred percent sure when the next update will happen, but I'll try and get a consistent update schedule for you guys. Until I post again, please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men.

* * *

**_One Year_**

**Chapter One**

--

"We're going to have to join them eventually."

"I know. But can't we wait just a few minutes longer?"

"Well, you know I'm in no hurry."

Rogue giggled against Logan's chest as he held her close to him. They were curled up on his bed, barely visible to each other in the dim lighting. Outside, the half-moon cast enough light to brighten the window and its surrounding area, but not much else. It was a quiet moment of peace, away from the wild excitement and partying of the rest of the mansion. Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was outdoing itself on preparations for the New Year, and the noise faintly drifted to even Logan's room. At this point in the night, there were perhaps ten minutes or so until the final countdown, which meant the two had been hiding out for nearly an hour.

"It's probably been too long."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

With a sigh, Rogue started to pull away from Logan. His arms tightened around her and curiously, she craned her head up towards his. It was already swooping down and his lips met hers, softly. She smiled against it and felt his lips curve in return.

"Happy New Year."

"You're a bit early."

"Yeah well, I just want to get a head start on it."

Logan chuckled at her words, and held her against himself for a moment longer. His large hands made their way through her hair, twisting around the fateful white streaks. For a moment longer the two remained this way, still, quiet, two separate beings who understood each other too well, and then Rogue poked Logan in the ribs.

"Five minutes!"

"Alright, alright."

They pulled away from each other, slipped off the bed and found each other again. Hand in hand, they left Logan's room and made their way back to the festivities.

* * *

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!" Sparkling cider glasses were clinked, the young couples kissed, and Jubilee launched a fire works spectacle that put all other shows in the area to shame. Logan dipped down and gave Rogue a quick kiss, and she caught Kitty and Bobby in a liplock of their own. Hank had slipped over and pressed a kiss to Storm's cheek, to which she blushed against.

The celebrations raged on, late into the night until eventually everyone crashed in the huge rec room, the best slumber party in the history of the mansion. As she lay curled up in a sleeping bag next to Logan, Rogue couldn't imagine feeling any happier. She grinned with anticipation for what the new year would bring for her and Logan.

"Happy New Year."

"Now you've got it right. Love you."

"Love you back."

* * *

Over the next few days things settled back into the routine at the mansion. In the four months that had passed since the events at Safe Haven, where the X-Men had battled the threat of Mister Sinister, and in the three months that had passed since graduation, things at the mansion had reached a new level of normalcy. For starters, the five junior members of the team who had graduated were considered full members of the X-Men, and all five had agreed to stay and help teach the incoming mutants.

As it currently stood, Storm and Scott essentially ran the school, one at a time typically, while the other went out for interviews and recruitment. Logan continued his position as a defense instructor, though he was usually only put in charge of the advanced classes. Sage, a mutant who had worked for the Professor quite some time ago and had been found at Safe Haven, stayed at the mansion as well, helping out with the defense classes as well. Peter continued his art classes, and Rogue, joined by Kitty, ran the ethics discussions. Between Hank and Warren, several science classes had sprung up, focused mostly on genetics, as well as doctoring. Bobby held a more curious position, one that could most accurately be described as a counselor, or even a therapist. His classes held mostly the newer mutants, and generally dealt with accepting their mutanty, as well as accepting the thoughts and actions of humanity. These students and their discussions tended to segue nicely into the ethics classes. Alex had chosen to stay at the mansion, mostly due to his brother's request, but he tended to float around. More often than not he could be found helping Sage, but if Scott was out recruiting, Alex typically joined him.

It was a good arrangement, and the school was thriving, still in the wake of the failure of the Cure that had rocked the mutant population.

And January remained mostly mild, which meant that it was difficult for the young mutants to pay attention. The X-Men had their hands full with keeping control, while still keeping eyes and ears open for any apparent threats. With the knowledge that Magneto was gone, most concern was minimal, though knowing his children were out there troubled Rogue from time to time. Overall it was easy to merely continue through life, and settle into the consistency of the routine.

Three and a half weeks later, that all changed.

* * *

"Hey Rogue, check it out." Peter nodded towards the television and Rogue looked up from her lunch to the news break.

"Turn it up," she called, wrinkling her forehead. The word _THREAT? _was in red block letters next to the newscaster. Bobby, who was closest to the remote, obliged and suddenly the voice of the newscaster filled the room. After his first words, the entire room was silent and focused on the screen.

_"…And word of this new threat has gotten out thanks to the doctors at our own local hospitals. It seems a mysterious illness has began slowly spreading throughout New York this past week, but more and more cases are being reported. As of today, there's already been fifty reported cases, all of which are mutant-related cases. Here's Candace with more."_

_"Thanks Bill. I'm standing outside the New York Memorial Hospital where three more cases of this illness have just been reported. I couldn't get any real definition of what the illness is, but it seems to only affect mutants. Now, I'm told there's no need for any real alarm for normal humans, but anyone who is a mutant is being asked to report their nearest hospital to be check for signs of the illness."_

_"What should a mutant expect from the illness?"_

_"That's the big question. As of right now anything resembling a fever, cough, or feeling faint seem to be symptoms. The most obvious thing it's resembling now is the common flu, but doctors are worried it could lead to something more. There's also worry that it could spread to humans, and no one knows how it may react that way."_

_"Ok, thanks, Candace."_

The news report continued, but the mutants stared at each other, wide-eyed. Bobby eventually moved first, turning the volume down. Next to him, Kitty gripped her pencil so tightly he knuckles started turning white.

"So…" Peter finally spoke, breaking the uneasy silence.

"Maybe we'd better talk to Scott," Rogue finally answered. She pushed away her lunch, her stomach feeling too heavy to eat now. "I don't like the idea of an illness that only affects mutants," she added as she started to stand up.

"I don't either," Bobby agreed, finally turning the television off as he rose. The four of them left the room, leaving the others there to speculate. As they made their way through the mansion, Rogue's mind traveled back to her time at Safe Haven, and her chance meeting with Magneto. He had mentioned something about being injected with a virus, a corruption of the Cure that was supposed the stop a mutant from being a mutant. But the Cure hadn't been released since it was discovered to be a failure, and everything at Safe Haven had been destroyed in a huge explosion. Rogue couldn't puzzle out a connection.

* * *

"I know, I saw it too," Scott said as the four piled into his spacious study room. Actually, it was the office that he and Storm shared, but the white-haired woman was out on a recruitment, so only he was currently there. Closer inspection revealed his younger brother, Alex, was also in the room.

"Well, what are we gonna do about it?" Bobby demanded.

"Can we do anything about it?" Rogue clarified.

"I don't know," Scott admitted. "Since it's only just been released to the media, there's been no specific details released at all."

"The report said all mutants should report to a hospital. Are we supposed to do that?" Kitty asked quietly.

"Not yet," Scott shook his head. "We're essentially isolated here, and we know there hasn't been any sort of outbreak here yet. Storm's due back in about two hours. She might have heard something about it too, though she's in California right now. Maybe we'll find out what's been going on in the West Coast."

"Should we make the call then, to have a meeting when she returns?" Peter asked, beating Rogue to the question. She tried to hide her surprise at his urgent tone as Scott answered.

"Yes, absolutely. We could assume this _is_ merely a flu virus that only attacks mutants, but we can't rule out the possibility it's a man made disease that can seriously harm mutants. I don't know what sort of action we can plan on taking, but we're definitely going to at least have some sort of a plan. Especially if someone here comes down with it."

"Alrighty then." Bobby rubbed his hands together. "Two hours then. We'll see you in the conference room." At Scott's nod, the four younger mutants left the room, quietly murmuring among themselves.

* * *

"Well, we need to find out who's heard what," Rogue began, "and to stop any panic attacks before they happen."

"Agreed," Peter said. "We should split up - some to find the others, and some to water any fires that may be springing up."

"Ok, Peter, you and Rogue go find the team members while Kitty and I will make the rounds among the younger mutants to see what can be done." Quick nods confirmed Bobby's suggestion, and he and Kitty left. Kitty cast a backwards glance over her shoulder, but Rogue wasn't sure if it was aimed at her or Peter.

"Should we also split up?" she asked then, turning and quirking an eyebrow at Peter. He paused, then grinned, a bit too brightly.

"Yeah, probably. I know who you want to talk to anyway." He chucked at the slight blush that rose in Rogue's cheeks. "I'll find Warren - I'm sure to find Hank as well then. You know, you'll probably find both Logan and Sage in the Danger Room."

"Sounds good," Rogue replied, grinning at her friend. "You know me too well."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Peter turned to leave, but turned back. "Hey Rogue?"

"Yeah?"

"I…well…I know you're worried about this, but don't be. It's probably not as big a threat as they're making it out to be. You know the media loves causing worry, and especially anything that puts mutants in a bad light."

"Yeah, it's just…" Rogue trailed off, her grin fading as her thoughts returned the dying Magneto she remembered. She didn't catch Peter's hesitation, or realize that what he'd said wasn't his initial thought.

"What?" Peter's concern turned to curiosity at her pause.

"No, nothing," Rogue shook her head, forcing a grin. "Go find Warren and Hank. I'll bet they'll find this really interesting. I'll catch you later." She turned and headed towards the Danger Room as Peter shrugged and headed his own direction.

* * *

There was a ferocious fight brewing as Rogue peered into the Danger Room. Since the arrival of Sage, Logan had a constant sparring partner, as both loved the challenge the other provided. Rogue had originally insisted that she could spar with Logan, but he simply wouldn't. At any rate, it was more often than not an even match between Logan and Sage, but that didn't mean it wasn't interesting to watch. In this particular instance, they had to be nearing the end, as both were dripping in sweat, and Sage had a nice three-tiered rip in her suit.

Rather than risk life and limb - though she knew she was quite the formidable fighter herself these days, stepping in the middle of those two wouldn't be pretty - Rogue waited outside, watching the sparring match from a safe vantage point. While she had to admire Sage's skill at fighting, Rogue found herself mostly watching Logan. Concern for the situation at hand drifted away as she admired his strength, his barely constrained brutality, the way his muscles flexed when her launched an attack….

Rogue snapped herself back into reality as she realized the match was over, Logan and Sage were laughing and shaking hands. She felt her face heating up and had to giggle to herself. Thank goodness no one was witnessing her little spying session -

"You can come in now," Logan called and Rogue felt her blush deepen. Of course Logan knew she was there, he could _smell_ her. Feeling a bit idiotic, Rogue opened the door all the way and stepped into the Danger Room.

"You both worn down enough I can take you single-handedly?" she asked, smirking.

"Never," Sage replied, her smile warm towards Rogue and laughter in her voice. Rogue's smirk turned to a grin as well, and she walked towards them, her original purpose for being here returning to her mind.

"Well, there's something up, but I really think y'all oughta clean up first," she began. "No offence but…" Rogue gestured towards them and held her nose for emphasis.

"Come on, we're not that bad," Logan growled, but Rogue caught the playful note in it. He advanced on her, rubbing his hand over his face to mop off the sweat that glistened on it.

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes and taking a few quick steps back. "Seriously Logan, go take a shower right now."

"Right this instant?" he asked, moving closer, holding his sweaty hands out to her.

"Yes!" Rogue answered, eyeing his hand warily.

"Leave the poor girl alone, you sweaty oaf," Sage called as she disappeared into the locker rooms.

"You let her get away with those insults?" Rogue smirked, quirking an eyebrow. "Since when have you gotten so soft?"

"There's always another match," Logan admitted, a keen gleam in his eye. Rogue laughed and he turned. "Back back shortly," he called.

"Yeah, make sure you're clean," Rogue called back, blowing him a kiss. As he too disappeared in the locker room, Rogue wandered around the empty Danger Room, her mind wandering back towards the situation at hand. She couldn't remember Magneto's exact words, which was annoying her to no end. Not that she _really_ thought the two were related, but it did seem a little odd nonetheless. Of course, if it was the same virus, why did it take four months to be released? And who would have done it?

* * *

"So, what's going on?" Logan called out as he returned. She glanced over at him and suddenly lost her train of thought. Rogue loved how he looked just out of the shower, still slightly damp, with something of a wild animal look. It also helped that he was only wearing jeans, pulling his shirt on as he approached her.

"You do that on purpose," she accused, speaking before thinking.

"Do what?" Logan feigned innocence, but his smirk gave him away.

"Distract me," Rogue answered as he closed the distance between them.

"Do I?" Logan asked, tilting her head towards his so he could kiss her.

"No PDA in the Danger Room," Sage complained as she appeared. They pulled apart, neither looking guilty, but instead rather impish at being caught.

"It happens," Logan said, which Rogue thought was great improvement for him. It wasn't _terribly _long ago that he had wanted to keep their relationship a secret. She definitely wasn't complaining about this.

"Anyways," Rogue continued, her mind regaining its focus yet again as she slipped her hand down to catch Logan's as the three of them exited the Danger Room. "There's a situation brewing. It was on the television, something about a flu that's only affecting mutants. Scott's trying to get everyone together when Storm returns from some recruitment so that we can see what's up."

"A flu that's only affecting mutants?" Sage's face turned serious. Rogue immediately wondered what Sage knew about the events concerning Magneto and Safe Haven. She had said that Magneto was brought there _after_ being sick, but still…

"What are they saying about the mutants who have it?" Logan asked, his eyes darkening.

"Nothing yet. All other mutants are supposed to go to the hospital to be checked out though. It may just be a flu, but it could always be some sort of crazy scheme that's out to get mutants." Rogue shrugged. She squeezed Logan's hand and he held onto hers more tightly.

"Ah, never a dull moment," Sage murmured. Logan caught Rogue's eye and the two smirked at each other.

* * *

"I just don't see what we can do at this point," Hank was saying logically to the mutants gathered in the conference room. "There's no leads, no obvious attack. We're going to have to wait it out and see what happens."

"But you know that someone in power is gonna come after us. The school isn't exactly a huge secret anymore. I mean, not everyone knows about it, but enough people do that we could be targeted somehow." Scott's comment sobered everyone.

"Well, the good news is that I didn't hear any reports of it in California," Storm eventually said. "That means it hasn't made it's way that far, at least. So perhaps it will be contained to this area, or this coast at least."

"Maybe," Warren contended. "But illnesses have a way of traveling. For all we know, only mutants can get sick, but humans could be the carriers. Just one human who's been in contact with it could potentially infect an entire area."

"Is that possible?" Kitty asked, her eyes wide. Warren nodded, as did Hank.

"It's not likely," Hank added, "but I think at this point we can't rule anything out."

"Ugh, I hate this whole not knowing thing!" Rogue muttered, and the murmurs in the room agreed with her.

"Well-" Sage begin, but she never finished her thought as cell phone started to ring. "Sorry," she said, looking down to turn it off. Her face turned ashen as soon as she saw the caller.

"Sage? Who is it?" Storm asked, immediately concerned.

"It's…it's one of the Safe Haven numbers." Sage's voice was only a whisper.

"What?" "How is that possible?" "Are you sure?" Voices of the X-Men clambered over one another in the unwelcome shock this news provided.

"Answer it." Rogue's voice rose above the surprised voices, strong and steady, though she was gripping Logan's hand as if it were a life-line. Sage paused for just a minute, then did so.

"Hello? Yes, this is Sage, but who are - _Moira_?" Sage almost dropped the phone, and Rogue felt her breath catch in her throat. Moira MacTaggert was not only the doctor who had taken care of the Professor, but also a geneticist who had supposedly died at Safe Haven. "Hold on, let me put you on speaker…" Sage's hands were shaking as she pressed a button, and held the phone out towards the full table. "Moira?"

"Yes, hello." The familiar voice, tinny through the speaker phone, filled the now silent room. Rogue frowned at the obvious weariness in it.

"How is this even possible?" Storm finally said. "Rogue said you were inside the building when it exploded." All eyes in the room cut to Rogue, who could only stare at the phone.

"Well, I would have been, but after she and the others with her left, things were very quickly taken out of my control. Is Rogue there?"

"Yeah," Rogue said, before she could stop herself. "So what happened after we left you with the Director?"

"Well, we were having an argument over what had happened, more or less, when we were interrupted by two mutants. I believe you know them as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch?" Rogue stiffened at the mention of Magneto's offspring. "Well, Quicksilver just sort of…scooped us up and we were out of the building before I even realized it."

"I saw them running away…" Rogue admitted. "I didn't know…it was too hard to make any details out."

"He took us to a small building a short distance away, and down a trapdoor into some tunnel, where Magento and the Professor were." These words caused another collective gasp. "I don't know exactly where we were, but it had to be underneath the Safe Haven building, because we felt the explosion, and several of the tunnels we tried to go through were blocked by rubble."

"Wait, you didn't try to escape from them?" Bobby's surprised voice cut through the monologue.

"Obviously you have never come across the Scarlet Witch and her powers," came Moira's wry response. Rogue had, and she grimaced.

"She's powerful," she muttered to Bobby, who sat back after seeing her face.

"At any rate, we finally got through the tunnels to the chamber they wanted. It was a small space, divided into two rooms. The first held the remains of many horrendous experiments, as well as notes and disturbing pictures of the experiments, and the second room held a woman. She was obviously contained in a sealed off, plastic covered area of the room."

"Did you know her?" Sage asked, her eyes bright.

"No, but Magneto did. He said he had been brought to this very place, and had experiments done on him that also were done on her. Magneto's children questioned Brent Jackson severely on this, but he denied any knowledge of it, saying that this was Windsor's - Mister Sinister - pet project. After a bit more…insistence, he added that Malcolm was the only other person involved.

"Who's Malcom?" Scott interrupted.

"Don't know, and Jackson wasn't telling anymore. He did say the mutant's project name was Infectia. We stayed there for quite some time, the siblings talking frequently to Magneto, but his illness kept him from being able to do much. Some point later, Jackson risked the odds and let Infectia loose. The siblings would have nothing to do with her, allowing for Jackson to make an escape. The Scarlet Witch was furious about this, and left for some time, leaving Quicksilver to watch me, Charles, and Magneto. I don't know how much time passed before the Scarlet Witch returned, saying things would be taken care of. Not much later, three more mutants returned with Infectia. I believe one of them knows you - he calls himself Pyro."

"John?" Bobby and Rogue spoke at the same time; a simultaneous, incredulous tone. Their eyes met briefly, shock and sorrow passing in the look.

"Yes, he and the other two mutants, calling themselves Multiple Man and Magik returned with Infectia, but not Jackson. The Scarlet Witch was furious, of course, but there was nothing she could do. At this point I found out that-"

"Wait, did you say Magik?" Peter suddenly interrupted the story. His face was filled with an emotion that Rogue could only describe as fear. "Can you please describe her?"

"Um…" Moira faltered for a moment. "She's young, long blond hair, bit of an accent. Did I tell say that Magik was female?"

"Peter?" Storm looked questioningly at him. Now fear and worry filled his features.

"No, please continue," he finally said. A brief pause and Moira resumed her tale.

"Let's see…oh, I found out that Infectia was the carrier of an extremely dangerous virus. I was able to look through the notes that were in the first room of the chamber. It appears that this virus is deadly to mutants. Infectia was dying from it, and I suspected that both Pyro and Magik suffered from it as well."

"What?" Peter's startled voice cut through again.

"Well, I'm not sure, I haven't been able to really monitor them. But Infectia is nearly dead from it now, and the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have commissioned me into doing research about it. Something about how Magneto is demanding it of them. What I've been able to tell so far is that it is specifically designed for mutants, but I'm afraid that…I'm afraid I've also contracted it. And it doesn't make sense that I should have."

"So wait a minute…if you've been held hostage, how are you now calling us?" Scott's tone was suspicious.

"Like I said, I've now been commissioned to work on the information behind this virus. And I've just been recently allowed to call for outside help, because this is too big for me. First, since I'm afraid I've got it, I haven't been able to work as much as I'd like to. Second, it's come to the siblings realization that when Jackson took Infectia outside, she apparently released the virus into the public. I guess it's been spreading rampant among mutants."

"No way…" Kitty breathed, and Rogue felt her own mouth drop open in shock. Her suspicions may have been right after all. Complete silence held for a moment.

"So…why call me?" Sage asked. "What can I do?"

"Well, the phones underground here only call other Safe Haven lines. And so I hoped that the number to your phone still worked. I only wanted you to relay my message to Charles' colleagues, but it seems luck is with me since you're already there."

"Well, what can we do?" Hank asked.

"What I really need is another mind to compare notes with," Moira admitted. "There are some blocks that I'm facing here in understanding this virus. The siblings want me to create a cure, but I can't do that until I get all the information behind it. I need help."

"Well…we have minds aplenty," Hank said. "What can you tell us?"

"No, not over the phone. It's much more complicated then that," Moria said. "I need you to come here - I'm not allowed to go anywhere."

"So you're asking us to willingly expose ourselves to this virus?" Scott demanded.

"If we can make the cure, it won't matter."

"And if you don't?"

"The virus is already out there. It still won't matter."

"We should go." Surprised faces swung to Logan, who was clenching his jaw. "I've had about enough of stuff like this. We need to put a stop to all this screwin' around with mutants and cures and viruses." Rogue's face paled at the anger in his tone.

"Moira, I'm afraid we need some time to talk about this," Storm interjected gracefully. "Is there anyway you'll be able to call us again in an hour or so?"

"I…I think so. I'm really counting of your help." Her voice was fading, getting harder to hear.

"I know," Storm replied. "And we want to. We just need to sort out logistics."

"Alright. Expect a call in an hour then."

"Thank you," Storm said. There was a click signifying Moira had hung up, and after a moment Sage pressed her own phone closed. The room remained silent, every mutant trying to absorb the information.

"I don't like this," Scott finally said. "I don't want anything else to do with that place."

"Me either," Rogue admitted, and Alex nodded his own agreement.

"Nothing good can come out of going there," he added.

"Well, maybe," Warren objected. "If the virus that's been on the news is the same virus that this Infectia has, we've got a big problem on our hands. Especially if Moira has contracted it. That means humans can get it, and you know everything will go to pieces then."

"Are we sure it's not some sort of a trap?" Bobby asked. "Can this doctor really be trusted?"

"I think so," Sage said softly. "Her past may be checkered, but she was always a friend of Charles, and so I think she is ultimately on the side we are on." There was another pause as this sank in. Peter, who had been fidgeting this whole time, finally stood up, his face strangely determined.

"We need to go and check this out," he said firmly. "And I will be going." Silence greeted his response.

"Um…why?" Rogue finally asked softly. His expression and intensity about the whole matter worried her.

"Do you remember my sister?" Peter asked her. Surprised, Rogue nodded. "She was supposed to attend here herself, but her powers had manifested earlier than expected and she had trouble arriving here. I'm afraid the girl with them, the one called Magik is my sister. Why I believe this is simple. I once told her all of us had code names, and she wrote that she would like her code name to be Magik. It could be a fluke, but I need to see if it is indeed my sister."

"Well," Hank said after a brief moment. "I should also go then, because this sounds like something that's right up my alley. Between Peter and I, we should have things covered, right? No need to risk everyone."

"I don't know…" Storm was shaking her head. "That's a long shot, Peter, and I still wish we didn't have to risk getting anyone infected, but-" Storm was abruptly cut off as the mansion's alarms went haywire.

"What the hell?" Scott exclaimed, and the meeting was suddenly forgotten as the mutants made a mad rush towards the windows and doors.

"Mr. Summers!" Jimmy suddenly appeared in the chaos. "Mr. Summers! There's a woman with blue skin on the front lawn who wants to talk with Rogue!"

"Oh hell," Logan muttered. "What does she want now?"

* * *

After most of the confusion was sorted out, Mystique sat in the center of the large rec room, surrounded by the members the X-Men, sans Alex who was keeping the rest of the mansion's student population busy elsewhere.

"I don't see what the problem is," Mystique said, pouting at the mutants before her. "I don't even want to talk to you. Just Rogue."

"And as I said, whatever you want to say to me, you can definitely say in front of _all_ of us." Rogue didn't trust Mystique, that was for sure, and despite having the powers she did, she also didn't want to be alone with her. Mystique had a way of subtle manipulation about her and though advantageous when she was fighting on the same side as Rogue, it also made Rogue uneasy.

"Not that we'd let you anyway-" Logan begin, but stopped as Storm shot him a look. Mystique's yellow eyes flashed.

"You're all very paranoid," was her only remark.

"And perhaps that's for good reason," Storm answered smoothly. "So now tell us, just what is it you need to tell Rogue so desperately?"

"I don't need to _tell_ her anything," Mystique responded just as smoothly. "I merely came to ask you, Rogue," and those yellow eyes slid over to stare her down, "a favor."

"A favor?" Whatever Rogue had imagined Mystique wanted, it certainly was not this, and her surprise showed in her voice. "What sort of a favor?"

"I need help finding some things. They are of a very…fragile nature, you could say. I have an idea where a few are, but I know for sure that one is missing."

"Wait, slow down, what are you talking about?" At Logan's outburst, Rogue pressed her hand to his, causing him to sit back in his chair. Mystique didn't even look at him during his outburst, keeping her gaze on Rogue, though her lips twitched.

"I had a…friend, a long time ago, who was a mutant also. She had the ability to look into the future, and, quite accurately, see the possibility there. Eventually she wrote these future events down in thirteen books and placed me as guardian of the books upon her death." Mystique paused, frowning slightly.

"And?" Rogue prompted, unsure why she did. She saw Peter fidgeting by the doorway, knowing he wanted to be out looking for his sister. This was surely just a distraction from the more important problem of the Virus sweeping the country, Rogue knew. But she found herself being curiously drawn into Mystique's story.

"I kept careful watch over them, of course. I divided them, as directed, and checked in on them every few months or so. But as time passed with nothing happening, I grew neglectful in my duty. Eventually, it became every few years before I checked on them. And since aligning myself with Magneto, well, I hadn't checked on them at all. But I have gone back now, and I can't find any of them." Mystique was really frowning now, her gaze serious.

"All thirteen are gone?" Rogue asked incredulously.

"Nice," Bobby snorted, and Kitty elbowed him in the side as Rogue and Storm shot him glares.

"No, not all thirteen," Mystique shook her head. "I think that…only one is truly missing. But most have been shuffled around, as they will after time. I've really lost track of them, I suppose you could say."

"But what do I have to do with any of this?" Rogue asked.

"I need you to help me find them."

"What?" Logan did stand up this time, his gaze incredulous. Rogue simply stared at Mystique, not catching the calculating look Sage was giving the both of them.

"Me?" Rogue shook her head. "Why me?"

"Because these Diaries…you're mentioned prominently in them Rogue. And if what I suspect is true, that the one that is truly missing has fallen into the wrong hands, it could prove disastrous for everyone, but especially you. Since the other ones have disappeared for the time being, it would be just as easy for anyone else to get their hands on them. Imagine, just knowing the future like that!" Mystique's hands were clenched into fists and her gaze hardened. Rogue tried not to shrink away from it.

"Have you read them?" she finally asked. Mystique's mouth broke from it's serious thin line to a small smile.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I never asked to know what was in them. I only know what I was told by her, of her own will. She asked me not to read them, so I didn't."

"Mystique." Sage's voice finally caused the yellow-eyed gaze to leave Rogue. "What was the name of the mutant who wrote these predictions down?" Mystique stared at Sage for a minute before smiling, a hint of malice in it.

"She went by the name Destiny. The books are commonly called the Destiny Diaries, though she referred to them as the Books of Truth." Sage's face didn't change after hearing this, but she settled back into her seat, seemingly satisfied.

"What would you do if I told you I wouldn't help you?" Rogue asked. She didn't like the thought that her future was already written down, and also that the wrong hands could get a hold of it but…she also didn't want to work with Mystique.

"But you're not going to, are you?" There was no note of triumph in her tone, but Rogue heard one anyway.

"Marie!" Logan hissed under his breath, and Rogue shuddered slightly against it. This whole things was crazy, she knew. There was already a mission that was holding the X-Men's attention, but still…

"Rogue?" Storm quietly called Rogue's attention to herself. "Are you seriously considering this?" Rogue bit her lip, looking around the room. Peter had stopped fidgeting, his serious gaze on hers. Bobby's face was expressionless, but Kitty was staring at her, wide-eyed. Warren was looking down at the carpet, his wings rustling slightly. Storm and Hank, side by side, waited for her response. Sage hadn't changed positions, but her interested gaze was on Mystique, not Rogue. Scott, standing behind Mystique, was shaking his head and Logan…he was only looking at her, confusion in his face.

"I…" Rogue started. Mystique's eerie yellow gaze was back on her, and the back of her neck was starting to prickle. Even knowing what that meant, Rogue couldn't easily swallow the idea of these diaries. "I don't like that those diaries are out there," she finally admitted. Mystique's eyes gleamed with triumph now, and Logan opened his mouth to talk.

"I don't either," Scott suddenly said, preventing Logan from speaking and causing all eyes to turn to him in surprise. "Why should our futures already be written out? Why shouldn't we be able to control them? That's not fair. That means every action done can be justified with 'well, it's inevitable' which cannot lead to good things."

"Pretty much how I feel about it too," Rogue said, surprised not only to have backup on this opinion, but by who was providing the backup. She felt the anger growing in Logan and hurried to continue on. "And I totally understand why it's bad if…I don't know, the government or something gets a hand on them, but that doesn't matter as much to me. I just don't think it's fair to any of us to have our lives already taken care of. I especially don't want to think that things happen to me because some mutant wrote down that they would." Rogue cut her gaze to Logan, and knew her words stuck a chord in him.

"I don't think that's something any of us want," Storm said softly. "But Rogue, would you seriously go look for these Diaries? With Mystique?"

"Who said only she would go?" Sage interrupted.

"Because I'm only inviting her," Mystique snapped. The triumph Rogue imagined she held previously was fading; her body was tense.

"What made you think I would help you without bringing a few of the X-Men along?" Rogue asked sweetly, causing Mystique's jaw to clench.

"Then the invitation doesn't stand," she ground out, standing up.

"Sit down." Sage stood up now, and her voice held no kindness to it. Rogue stared at her in surprise. "Storm, I believe we now have quite a few things to talk about. I suggest that Cyclops stays here with Mystique, and we all retire to another room." Scott flinched at his not-oft used codename, and Rogue her forehead wrinkle in confusion. Storm stared at Sage for a moment before nodding herself.

"Alright?" she asked Scott, who nodded. Mystique sank back down into her chair, glowering.

* * *

"What the hell was that, Sage?" Logan demanded as soon as they were in the next room over.

"A show of power," Sage responded. "Mystique's trying to one-up us somehow, and I'm merely letting her know whatever she's trying to do won't work. Now, Rogue," and she turned to her, "are you serious about wanting to find those diaries?"

"Yeah," Rogue nodded, not looking at Logan. She couldn't explain it to even herself…it just seemed like it was something she should do. That, of course, made her suspicious it was written down that she would do this, which gave her reason enough to want to find them and…do something about them.

"Then here is what I suggest. We split into three groups. We need a group here at the mansion of course, to continue lessons and to keep up protection, especially with the threat of the Virus out. We need a group to go and help Moira deal with the Virus. And we need a group to accompany Rogue and Mystique on the search for the Diaries." Sage looked at Storm and Hank.

"I don't like it," Hank shook his head, "but that's the best plan for it."

"It's going to create a lot of hassle, having ourselves so divided," Storm admitted. "But I don't know how else it can be arranged, since we need to be in three places at once."

"I know how to solve it - we just don't play these games with Mystique and throw her the hell out," Logan snarled. "Listen Marie, I get what you're saying about not wanting to have the future written down, but you can't _really_ trust her."

"Of course I don't trust her!" Rogue looked at Logan in surprise. "So of course you'll come with me."

"Oh no," Storm interrupted. "Rogue, those two do not play nicely. The whole situation would be tense enough without that. If you go look for the Diaries, Rogue, Logan wouldn't."

"What?" Logan growled at Storm. "I'll do whatever the hell I want."

"Logan," Hank said warningly, taking a step closer to Storm.

"Hey, if we're going to split into groups, then who's going to deal with the Virus?" Peter asked impatiently, breaking Logan's glower. Hank looked over at him.

"I am, of course," he said.

"No." Sage spoke up emphatically. "Logan should go with the group to see Moira. Logan and Peter, and Warren."

"Say what?" Warren asked loudly.

"Scott should stay here at the mansion, of course. He knows how to run it smoothly, and Hank needs to stay here as well. And of course Bobby will stay."

"I will?" Bobby asked, surprised.

"And Storm and myself will accompany Rogue, with Mystique. And Kitty as well."

"Me?" Kitty looked shocked.

"I don't understand," Storm said. "Why Logan to go see Moira? And why not Hank? He has the greatest amount of knowledge in that area. Warren can stay and help if any of the students get injured here."

"No. The virus is getting out to be too big of a known threat. Humanity is going to be coming here soon enough demanding who-knows-what because of it. If we refuse to let out students be caught up in all this mess, which I believe we will, that in itself will look very bad on us. And since the government knows of Hank's intelligence, as well as his involvement here, if they arrive and he's not here, it will look very bad indeed. We won't be able to tell them where he's gone and needless suspicion will be raised. Warren's learned quite a lot from him already - between that knowledge and Moira's own, they should be fine." Sage looked around. "And Logan, because they might appreciate the power from him. Besides, he's already expressed interest in ending the whole mess with cures and viruses."

"Well, why do I have to stay here?" Bobby asked. "Why can't I be out doing something?"

"Don't you think you'll be doing quite a lot here?" Storm asked softly. "There's going to be even more fear now, and you have quite the presence here as it is."

"Will Mystique go along with it?" Rogue interjected. "Having four of us go along with her?"

"I'm not giving her a choice about it," Sage answered. "She came here knowing this would happen. The X-Men work as teams." A dark look passed her face before she continued. "Mystique allies herself with whoever will help her when she needs it, you know that Rogue. This is just how it's working out this time."

"Oh." It made sense, but at the same time… Rogue rubbed her temples, confusion whirling around. There was so much going on, too many things happening, too many plans to cope with and not enough time to take it all in.

"Well, I don't agree with it." Rogue looked up at Logan. "I don't agree with any of it. We should just deal with the Virus - that's what's important now. Let Mystique play her games elsewhere." He glanced down at Rogue. "It's not worth getting involved with her yet again." Logan looked around the room once more and then left.

"What a surprise," Warren said drily. Rogue glared at him.

"He'll come around," Storm murmured. "He has to, because we need to deal with this and he needs to help."

"Why is finding the diaries so important right now?" Kitty asked softly. "So important that we can't wait until after dealing with the Virus?"

"Mystique said one is definitely missing," Sage explained. "Don't you think whoever found it might conclude there are others? And look for them? The consequences could be disastrous."

"I'll go talk to Logan," Rogue said, standing up, catching a look passing between Bobby and Kitty at her comment. "As for everything else, let's go with what Sage suggested. Don't you think, Storm?" She looked at the white-haired woman for verification. After a moment, Storm slowly nodded.

"Peter and Warren, along with Logan-" Storm looked pointedly at Rogue, "-should leave to see Moira tomorrow. For the rest of us, we'll wait until we're more together and leave when we can."

"I knew things were too calm for it to last," Kitty muttered. Bobby squeezed her shoulder gently, but didn't say anything. When he glanced over at Peter and Warren, they only shrugged.

"Such is the life for us," Hank said, almost sadly. Storm gave him a small smile. Rogue sighed, feeling the absence of Logan.

"You'd better convince him," Peter whispered to her as she stood and strode past him to the door. "I don't want to waste any more time."

"I know," Rogue said sadly. She looked back at the room.

"Go, go." Sage waved her on. "We'll take care of things here. You talk some sense into your beast." Everyone chuckled, except Hank who coughed slightly. "Oh, no offence Hank, you know that," Sage added on. Rogue did smile then, and she quietly left as the room filled with a bit more laughter.

* * *

She found him outside, despite the January chill. Over the weeks since New Year's, the mild weather had been fading and it had been steadily getting colder. The visible puff of her breath was only another reminder of this.

"Logan, it's cold." Rogue muttered as she came up behind him. He didn't turn, which surprised her. She caught her arm in his and leaned against his side, looking up at his profile. His jaw was clenched tight. "Logan?"

"I don't like this set-up, Marie." His voice was deeper than normal, gruffer, if that was possible. "Dealing with this Virus was going to be bad enough, but Mystique is a whole different story."

"I know you don't like her, and that you don't trust her. But what ulterior motive do you think she might have?"

"I don't know, and that's even more reason why I don't think we should have anything to do with her. Even though it does deal with all this future crap."

"I know you don't like it either," Rogue began after a moment. Her voice was slow and measured. "The idea that the future could have been written down, and we're just following along. I don't want to think that we met in Laughlin City because some mutant wrote down that we would. I want to think that we met entirely by chance. And that we were drawn together because of who we are, not what was predicted who knows how long ago. And I really don't want to think that what happened to you happened because it was written down…" Rogue shivered and Logan suddenly turned, eveloping her in his warmth. His head was down, his cheek pressed against hers, and she was shocked to feel the dampness on it.

"If that were true…" his whisper rumbled against her, and Rogue felt her heart go out to him, this man who was still not whole, but trying so hard to be, if only for her.

"Oh, Logan," she whispered back, unable to do much other than hold him to herself.

"What's worse," he suddenly said, "was that she said you were important in those books. There's so much going on now…I don't want to think about what might happen to you. I lost you for a week, Marie, and I nearly lost my mind because of it. I can't let anything like that happen again."

"Logan…" Rogue whispered again. They stood there, in the chilly air, as twilight dimmed to night, holding each other in silence. Eventually Logan shook his head, pulled back, and peered down at her.

"You really want to do this?" he asked gruffly.

"I really do," she answered. "Those diaries need to be found and collected up and then…I don't know, but we'll think of something to do with them. First things first, we have to make sure no one else can have access to that information. And Logan, don't worry about me being with Mystique. Storm and Sage are gonna be there too."

"And Kitty," he said, a smirk playing around his lips.

"Yeah," Rogue sighed. "And Kitty. But it'll go fast. And you'll go with Peter and Warren and get things with the Virus and its cure taken care of, and before we know it, we'll be back together here at the mansion. No more than six months, if even that long."

"Hn." Logan grunted at her optimism.

"Can we please go inside now?" Rogue asked. "I can't feel my face." That finally made him smile, and he chuckled the whole way back to the mansion.

* * *

Curled up in Logan's bed, Rogue watched sleepily as he strode about the room, throwing a few items into a small bag. It was past midnight, and the rest of the mansion was quiet with slumber, but Logan's growls filled his bedroom.

"Aren't you packed _yet_?" Rogue asked him. He paused, looking over at her as if surprised she was still there.

"Yeah," he muttered, "Just looking for something."

"Can I help you look for it?" Rogue asked, moving to throw back the covers, though she detested leaving the warmth.

"No," Logan continued moving about. "You stay there." Smirking, Rogue did as she was told, and curled back into the covers. "Ha!" Logan growled with triumph, and pulled something out of a drawer. He attached a long silver chain around his neck, and turned to face Rogue.

"Found it?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow and smiling. He smirked back and crossed the room to the bed. She sat back up, and he stood at the side of the bed, looking nervous. "So…?"

"Well…" he started, then rubbed his hands together. Her attention was drawn to the silver chain he had attached around his neck, from which dangled a small circular object. She leaned forward, her brow wrinkling in concentration as she reached out for it. It looked like a ring, made of some sort of thick metal, silvery-black in color. The band was wide, but plain.

"What's this?" she asked, her curiosity evident in her voice, her eyes now drawn to his hands, cupped around something.

"Like I was saying earlier tonight," he started again. "I lost you for a week once before. I don't know how long we're going to be apart now, but I don't want you to…well, I don't know. Here." He opened his hand and held it out to her. Rogue reached for it, and drew out another silver chain, identical to his except for length, from which also dangled an object. It too looked like a ring, made of the same thick, silvery-black material as the one he had. The band was smaller, more feminine, and plain as well. Eyes wide, Rogue stared up at Logan.

"I…" was all she could get out. Logan gently removed it from her hands, and opened the clasp on the chain. Leaning forward, he gently placed it around her neck. It settled in easily, just a slight weight.

"This, right now, tonight, is a promise between you and me, Marie." His voice was more tender than normal. "No matter what happens to us, we will find our way back to each other when these problems have been dealt with.. Marie, I promise you that I will come back to you."

"Logan I…" Unbidden, Rogue's mind flew back to how the back of her neck prickled earlier that afternoon when talking to Mystique about leaving to find the diaries. She chose to ignore the thought. "Of course I will come back to you." He smiled then, a soft smile, unusual for him, and leaned in and kissed her gently.

"Good," he said against her lips, and kissed her again.


	2. His February

Author's Notes: Ah ha, I am back with another chapter! I'm glad you see y'all are excited for a sequel! Hopefully you'll like what happens...haha! Anyway, without further adieu, please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men.

* * *

**_One Year_**

**Chapter Two**

--

February blew in with chills and snow overnight, making the start of the team visiting Moira a bit difficult. Storm had wanted them to wait until the worst of the storm passed, but Peter argued that they should just go. Despite Marie's anxious face, Logan wanted to get a move on too - the faster they left, the sooner they'd be back was the way he saw it.

"So…how are we getting there anyway?" Warren was asking nervously as the group gathered itself together in the mansion's front hall. The mutants seeing them off were already there and waiting for them.

"The jet," Logan answered, excitement building at the prospect of flying it. He grinned, despite himself.

"No," Summers said, "Not possible. First, you don't know how long you'll be there. Second, you've got nowhere to store it. Third, I don't trust you flying it, especially in this weather."

"Hold on just a minute," Logan began, feeling testy at the lack of trust from Summers. Logan knew he knew what he was doing when flying the jet, and he definitely didn't appreciate the jab about trust. Marie's hand tightened its grip on his and he looked down at her, surprised. She was trying not to smile as well as look sympathetic and severe, all at the same time and failing miserably at all three. Logan felt the insult slide away and allowed himself to smile back at her. It amazed him how she just had to look some way at him, and he could calm down. He looked back up, though not in Summers' direction.

"Scott's right," Storm allowed. "We'll take you to the airport and fly you out that way-"

"No chance the commercial planes are flying now," Hank said, shaking his head.

"Train?" Bobby questioned.

"Can't we just drive?" Peter asked, his impatience laced through his voice. He rocked back and forth on his heels as he waited for an answer. Logan saw Marie glance out the window at the snow covered grounds. She seemed slightly nervous. He felt a frown starting to form.

"Well…" Storm looked thoughtful. "I suppose you could. Four-wheel drive could make it through, of course, though you'd have to be careful. It'll take a lot longer than flying."

"Let's just do that then," Logan growled, ignoring the look Marie shot him. He knew she wasn't surprised by his actions. "Peter, Warren, let's go." He scooped up his travel bag and spun around towards the garage. Marie hurried after him, as did the rest of the X-Men who were with them.

"Where's Sage?" Logan caught Kitty asking Bobby.

"Something about how she needed to keep an eye on Mystique," the boy answered.

"Logan?" Marie whispered, catching his attention away from any other conversation going on. He looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. "You'll be careful driving, won't you?" Her question caused him to crack another smile.

"When am I ever not careful?" he asked, a smirk gracing his face. In that split second the concern on her face was covered by a smirk as well, but too soon that left.

"I know, it's just…last night you had me thinking, that's all. So be careful, especially in this weather."

"I know, darlin'. I know." Logan reached his free arm out and caught her around the shoulders, pulling her close. She tilted her head in towards him and Logan had that disturbing feeling that even though every thing was going fine now, the future was still out there, waiting to happen…

* * *

"Everything in?" Logan asked, checking the three bags belong to him and the other two.

"Not quite." Alex suddenly appeared behind the group of waiting X-Men, a bag in his own hand.

"Eh?" Warren looked around the side of the black SUV in surprise. "What's going on, Alex?"

"Alex?" Summers' surprised tone rang out at the same time.

"I'm going with you," Alex announced firmly. He stared at Logan, who merely stared back. "I was with Rogue in this place, and I know a little bit about it. I don't know if you'll need my help, but you got it."

"Alex, you can just stay here," Summers insisted, but his younger brother shook his head.

"Nah, I need to get out of this place for a bit. I need something more exciting to do right now. I figure these guys may need an extra hand at some point, and probably will need it more than you guys here do."

"Eh, let him come," Logan shook his head, opening the driver's side door. "It's not worth the argument, or the wait." After all, Peter was already sitting in the passenger's seat, his jaw clenched tight. Besides, the look on Summers' face was priceless.

"Thanks," Alex said, throwing his bag in the back and shutting the door. He and Warren climbed in as Logan turned to Marie.

"Be good," he whispered to her, and she grinned.

"You too," was her reply. "Call me when you can." He nodded, then leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead for a brief minute before pulling back and climbing into the SUV himself. Shutting the door, he made a show of pulling on his seatbelt for Marie, who rolled her eyes and started laughing at him. As the engine started up, Logan swallowed, knowing this meant he was going to be separated from Marie for…well, he didn't know how long.

"Here we go," Logan heard Warren said, mostly to himself as he pulled out and started down the drive. The flakes of snow, also accompanied by sleet, hit the windshield, creating an almost instantaneous lack of visibility.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Logan growled as he turned on the defroster and the windshield wipers. He pulled out of the front gates and into the road, and slowly the four began to make their way away from the mansion.

* * *

That evening found Logan still driving, though much slower in the dark. Peter hadn't questioned Logan's apparent choice of driving straight through, though he had asked if they shouldn't switch drivers. Not exactly trusting the three younger men, Logan had insisted he was fine. Now however, he was starting to regret that choice. The daytime driving had been rough enough, and just as things were getting even more treacherous in the dark, he felt his concentration waning. He didn't particularly want to stop now though, since that seemed like admitting failure. Besides, everyone was sleeping, or nearly there, so they wouldn't exactly be safe drivers to switch with.

"Logan?" Alex's voice drifted softly through the car, waking neither Warren nor Peter. Logan shifted at the sound of it. "Need a break?"

"Nowhere to stop yet," Logan grunted, wondering if he should be unnerved by the younger Summers brother's concern. "This road seems to go on forever, and I can't see anything." He peered through the windshield into the blackness that was lit only by the SUV headlights. There was silence for a bit again, then-

"Can't believe Peter actually fell asleep," came Alex's soft voice again. "He's really worked up about this. Guess it's a good thing he's a pretty quiet guy."

"Hn," was Logan's response. He wasn't a fan of small talk to begin with, and he was tired and trying to concentrate on driving in the snowy darkness. Alex seemed to pick up on his lack of interest and remained silent. The headlights picked up a sign -- a truck stop was coming up, it looked like. Despite himself, Logan knew he'd have to stop. Wanting to go straight through was all well and good, but this weather was awful, and it just wasn't worth risking it, not at this point. "We're stopping for the night," he muttered.

"Oh." Alex's voice held just a trace of his surprise, but he didn't say anything else. Logan concentrated on pulling off the road and towards the tiny stop. It looked like it was composed primarily of eateries and cheap hotels, with one gas station and a few houses towards the backdrop. The slowing motion of the car was causing the others to wake up as Logan pulled back to the station first. .

"Filling up now?" came Warren's sleepy voice. "Do that in the morning, let's go find a hotel now."

"Fat chance," Logan muttered, unbuckling his seat belt and gearing himself to go out into the cold. "You always gotta be prepared for anything, and that includes a quick exit. So, we fill up now." He opened the door, letting the blast of cold air make it's way in and startle Peter completely awake.

* * *

Logan stared straight ahead in the small hotel room. The whole business was vaguely reminding him of his nomadic ways before settling in with Marie at the mansion, with the exception that Alex was also in the room, brushing his teeth before sleeping. Sighing, Logan eyed the small, twin beds. Neither looked particularly comfortable.

"Peter sure wasn't happy about stopping, was he?" Alex chuckled as he rinsed out his toothbrush. "I have a feeling we're going to have an early start tomorrow."

"Let him complain," Logan grumbling, finally picking the bed closer to the window and settling back on it. "This weather sucks and he knows it. We have plenty of time." Shutting his eyes and hoping that Alex would shut up as well, Logan let his mind drift back to the previous night. He smiled to himself as he felt the small weight of the ring against his chest. What Marie thought about the two of them now, he wasn't certain, but he felt quite certain that when they both returned, something was going to change for them.

That terrible feeling about the future pressed in on him again and he forced himself to think that the change for them would definitely be for the better.

* * *

The dull pounding on the door startled Logan out of bed and, snarling, he had it open before he was even fully awake.

"What?" he growled, claws out and ready to attack before noticing Peter taking a slight step back.

"It's 7:30," Peter said softly. His lips twitched slightly as he tried to smile. "This is your wake up call." Logan stared at him a moment, baffled, and then as his mind began to fully wake up he realized Peter was trying to be funny.

"It's too early fer jokes," he finally muttered, withdrawing his claws and Peter gave a real, though small smile. "Gimme fifteen," Logan added before shutting the door. He turned around and grabbed the pillow off his bed. A well aimed throw and a shout from Alex made Logan actually smile. "Wake up!" he called to him as he made his way for the shower.

* * *

Halfway through the day, the storm, which had only been light snow all morning, started getting worse, and Logan found himself with limited visible conditions. Peter, in the passenger's seat again, was leaned forward so far that his nose brushed against the windshield. His eyes were squinted, trying to see into the snow filled roads.

"It's getting icier," Logan muttered to no one in general. Even with the four-wheel drive, the SUV occasionally slipped for a second. The snow that had started the day now had given way to heavy freezing rain.

"Maybe we should stop, and see if it gets worse?" Warren suggested quietly. Peter's jaw clenched, but Logan had to admit it was getting to be a little bit crazy to be out in this weather now.

"We'll keep going until we see a decent sized town," he finally decided. "There's got to be one coming up soon, right Peter?" Logan indicated the map that sat untouched in Peter's lap. With a sigh, Peter sat back in his seat and opened the map up. His jaw was still clenched.

"Yeah, there's one in a couple of miles," he finally said. "At the rate we're going, we'll get there in about forty-five minutes or so."

"Good," Logan nodded, keeping his attention on the treacherous driving conditions. Had it only been him in the SUV, he knew he probably would have kept on going through the storm. But these were Marie's friends with him, and he had promised Marie he'd return to her - and he didn't want it to be in a body bag 'cause he'd wiped out in this weather. _Since_ _when was it better safe then sorry?_ Logan found himself asking himself. The four in the SUV remained silent as it continued on.

* * *

Pulling into a hotel parking lot nearly an hour later, Logan let out a sigh of relief. The roads had been absolutely terrible, worse than he'd expected, and he was glad to be able to sit back and relax for a little bit.

"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Peter asked as he grabbed two of their bags out of the SUV.

"Till it's drivable weather," Logan answered. "And don't start with me," he added as Peter was about to protest. "You know what I call drivable weather is a hell of a lot different than what most other people would." He started in towards the hotel, ignoring the eye rolling of Warren and Alex. In a moment, the quiet crunch of footsteps in snowy ice followed him.

* * *

They had managed to pick the completely wrong town to stop at. Out of the entire storm that was passing through the state, it hit that particular spot the hardest, and the four stayed cooped up for an entire week. Logan thought he would have gone insane if it weren't for being able to call Marie.

"Peter just sits around, staring at nothing," he was telling her towards the end of the week. "And between Alex and Warren, neither one stops talking. They bought a deck of cards here and _I can't play poker with them anymore_," he finished crossly.

"Why not?" Marie asked, giggling.

"They told me I was either the luckiest bastard they knew, or the best cheater in the world and that I wasn't allowed to play." Marie burst into complete laughter then, and Logan sat stewing while she finished. "Better now?" he asked as she calmed down, pretending to be more irked than he actually was. It was just good to hear her voice again.

"Much," she answered. "But Logan I'm glad you guys aren't trying to drive there now. Everything on the news looks really bad, and I hate to think of you driving in that mess."

"Well, don't worry about it," he added. "It'll probably be another couple days or so before we could even think about getting out of here."

"Good," she said. "And who knows, maybe you'll get to play poker again after all." Logan could hear the smile in her voice and it made him smile slightly as well.

"And how are you doing?" he asked softly. "Find those diaries yet?"

"Oh," Marie answered, all laughter gone. "Well, it turns out that Mystique had some other information that she hadn't shared with us. Apparently the Professor had - oh wait, hold on a second," and then "_WHAT?_" he heard her shout to someone in the background. "_NOW? OK, HOLD ON_…," and a moment later, "Logan? I've got to go, something's come up."

"What is it?" he asked, instantly alarmed. Her voice wavered with unhappiness.

"Just, more things about the diaries. Look, call me later tonight, or at least once more before you start on the road again, ok?"

"Sure," he muttered, feeling…he didn't even know. Cast off, perhaps.

"Thanks," she murmured into the phone. "Oh, Logan. Don't be mad. We knew we'd be busy. Too soon this'll all be over and we'll be back with each other. Ok?"

"I know, I know," he replied. "Go on, don't make them wait."

"Ok," and the smile was back in her voice. "Logan, I love you."

"Love you back."

* * *

It was only a few days after that phone conversation that Logan deemed the roads passable, though had he asked any of the town's residents, they would have disagreed with him. But Logan hadn't asked any of them and he also had enough sitting around and watching the news. Unsurprisingly, Peter was antsy enough to agree with him. So, they started out into the snow again.

"Geez, could you have hurried us out of there any faster?" Warren was complaining as Logan slowly started pulling out of the parking lot and towards the main roads.

"There were other reasons for leaving," Logan muttered. He had rolled the window down and lit a cigar before leaving, despite the protests of the others. Sometimes he just needed the comfort of it, he decided, and that morning in the hotel breakfast area had been a bit alarming.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, leaning forward. "What other reasons?"

"Didn't you watch the news at all this week?" Peter answered for Logan, who quickly closed his mouth, hiding his surprise. "News of the Virus is spreading quickly, because the actual virus is spreading quickly. It's now a requirement for every mutant to go get checked out a hospital, and there's been talk of containing all mutants with the Virus together."

"What the hell? Can they do that?" Alex demanded.

"As of now, no," Peter continued. "They can't prove the Virus is actually harmful, to either mutants or humans, as it's still mostly flu-like systems. But people are getting nervous, especially those already biased towards mutants."

"But what does this have to do with us?" Warren asked.

"People were lookin' at us funny," Logan simply said. "Apparently, we look suspiciously like mutants, which means we could be contaminated, and could contaminate the town as well." Plus, Logan added to himself, he might have almost lost his temper when that guy in the breakfast area cut in front of him and took the last donut. Already feeling a bit short tempered to begin with, Logan's claws may have made a showing in a last ditch attempt to get the sugary treat he longed for, much to the surprise of the other patrons…

"Are you kidding me?" Warren asked incredulously.

"No," Logan answered, startled out of his thoughts. He tossed the remains of his cigar out the window as he continued. "People are nervous, and so I thought it was probably a good idea to just leave 'em alone. We need to be getting' a move on anyway."

"Wow." Alex sat back, expressionless. "I can't believe that people are so…easily frightened."

"Yeah right," Warren muttered. "Better get used to it." Logan glanced at Warren through the rear view mirror. Last night, when Logan had gone down to visit the vending machines, he had seen Warren being verbally assaulted by some guy staying the hotel. Stepping in between them, Logan knew he had probably caused more harm than was already there, but it was better than sitting back and watch the boy take it.

"Yeah," Logan muttered, and Warren glanced up at him.

* * *

The entire next week was slow going, as the weather was still bad and the roads remained even worse. Eventually, the weather cleared up enough that the roads could be effectively salted and the team started making up for the lost time.

"You know, it didn't seem like this took that long on the jet," Warren commented after nearly two and a half weeks of travel.

"That jet ride was the longest ride of my life," Logan muttered, more to himself than any of the others in the SUV. He could remember it clearly, flying towards Safe Haven where Marie had been kept captive for a week. And after getting there, to find she really didn't remember him…even thinking about it caused him to shake slightly. Logan grimaced to himself, unwilling to believe he had allowed himself to be sucked into going back to the place.

"Well, I only got to fly half way, and then had to make the rest of the way myself, thanks to Storm's plan," Alex was saying. "It's further away then you'd think. But yeah, it's definitely faster with the jet. And good weather."

"Don't forget, it's not that actual building we're looking for," Peter added. "We've got to find whatever small building Dr. MacTaggert mentioned, and find them from there. We're actually going farther than we did before."

"Right, and does anyone know how we're going to do that?" Warren wondered out loud. "First of all, we've got to find where Safe Haven was. Then we've got to find this small building, wherever it is. Then we've got to search through tunnels to find Dr. MacTaggert and the others, hopefully not getting killed in the process. We've also got to hope they'll be expecting us, you know."

"Didn't Storm mention something about how they'd be waiting for us?" Alex asked. "Or that at least someone would be ready to take us to the right place? I know Dr. MacTaggert called back and they discussed something."

"Oh yeah," Warren trailed off. "I guess she did say then when we were making plans to leave. But she didn't say who would be waiting for us, or where. So we don't know exactly what building we're going to, or who will be there waiting for us, which means we don't know what we're doing."

"I'll bet they have a pretty good idea who we are though," Logan interjected. "So I don't think we need to worry about that. Making certain this isn't a trap is a much better priority…" He should have talked to Storm about this more, he knew, but he had been more concerned about spending time with Marie. Now it was coming back to cause him problems. His lips curled in a snarl at his frustration.

"Well, after we've come this far nothing's going to stop me," Peter said. "I won't leave until I see Magik, trap or no."

"That's a dumb attitude, Pete," Warren responded, patting his friend on the shoulder. Alex snorted.

"Be that as it may," Logan allowed, "No one runs off to do their own thing. We're all going back to the mansion alive, so no personal agendas allowed." The last part, a growled threat, wasn't missed by any of them, and the trip continued on in silence. The weak February sun struggled to shine through the cloudy skies.

* * *

A total of three and a half weeks travel time later, the SUV finally pulled off the main roads and wound through a few side streets before turning down a back alley. It made its way slowly down the blackened-snowy asphalt before turning a sharp left onto a graying-snow covered gravel drive. After following the gravel through a slightly wooded area, the SUV left the gravel for a muddy trail through more woods. It slipped through the trail for about five minutes before the snow became thicker and the process became even slower. Sharp turns kept it sliding unevenly across the trail, and several times it came close to hitting an object, usually a tree. It took it another ten minutes or so before the trail opened up to a wider gravel lane, which eventually opened up to a concrete lane. The thick layer of ice and snow made the travel even more treacherous, though there weren't as many objects around to hit. Eventually the SUV traveled up to a large flat space, with random pieces of twisted metal and cement blocks sticking out here and there. The snow covered it peacefully as the ice glistened in the daylight, creating a beautiful, but eerie scene.

"End of the line," Logan announced as the SUV slipped and slowed. "We just gotta find a place to stash this." Four sets of eyes scoured the area for an SUV sized hiding place, but nothing was really standing out.

"What about off in those woods there?" Alex finally suggested, pointing to the trees closest to the remains of Safe Haven. A few trees stood clumped together, their thick branches growing together. Logan shrugged and started coaxing the SUV towards them. After a few tries, he managed to pull it far enough under the trees that it was mostly hidden. Working together, the four started pulling other branches and brush to cover the SUV. Eventually it was concealed enough for even Logan, and, grabbing their bags, the four started walking back through the snow towards what was left of Safe Haven.

"Never thought I'd be walking back through here," Warren said as they carefully picked their way through.

"I told myself I wouldn't come back here, and yet, I fought to do just that," Alex said wryly. His face was pale.

"Well, we just do what we have to," Peter said, ending the conversation for a minute. As they passed by the remains, none looked over at them, each for their own various reasons.

Logan even held his breath, trying to shut out every sense from acknowledging the place that had captured, held, and tortured Marie. It wasn't right that any of that happened, and just being near the place made his jaw clench and his fists tighten. A familiar sensation rushed through him, demanding vengeance, but Logan squished the Wolverine down. _Not here, not now_, he muttered in his mind. It had been easier to keep the Wolverine under control when he'd been with Marie, when the odd sensation of being loved was kept first and foremost in his mind. Here, out in the open, away from that love and around that which threatened it's very existence, the Wolverine was trying to rise up again.

"Logan?" Warren's voice cut through his mind, and Logan looked up, realizing he'd stopped walking. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah…yeah," Logan shook his head and started forward again, passing the other three without looking at them. After a moment, he heard them continue after him. He berated himself silently, unhappy with his lack of control. It surprised him, when the other three caught up and began talking, that he welcomed them and their distraction.

"So, do we see anything like a building?" Alex asked. "She said it was to the north of where the building used to stand, right?"

"Yes," Peter answered. "But I don't see anything yet." They continued on in silence for a bit longer before Warren suddenly stopped.

"This is stupid," he said darkly. "There's no one around. I'm gonna fly up and see where it is." He removed the brace that helped hide his wings and, as they fluttered free, he stretched them outward. With a powerful jump, he launched himself up into the air, the powerful beating of the wings sending back enough air to nearly topple the other three. Logan growled quietly and braced himself against it.

"Well, ok," Alex said. They watched him fly higher for a moment, before Logan shook his head and continued walking in the direction they had been going. Shrugging, Alex and Peter followed him, and they all followed Warren.

* * *

"It took us freaking three hours to get to it!" Alex exclaimed. "I thought she said they ran to this place?" The four stood outside a nondescript building, painted white. It blended in with the snow covered landscape, and Logan had to admit to himself he was glad Warren had been scouting from the air. The two perspectives had been what led the four to the building.

"She said _Quicksilver_ ran with them here," Warren corrected. "That guy is super fast - she probably didn't realize how far away it really was. It was also dark, so she couldn't see how fast they were going. Plus, you guys were all working your way through thick snow and slush, whereas they had none of that. We just hit more delays, that's all."

"Well, are we going to go in or what?" Peter asked impatiently. He moved to grab the doorknob, but the door opened before he could do so.

"Well, well, took you long enough."

* * *

Logan made up the rear of the line that followed Pyro through the tunnels underneath the ground. He didn't trust the little fire maniac, especially knowing he'd been held at Safe Haven and probably had experiments run on him, like Marie had. Since nothing about the whole situation seemed particularly trustworthy anyway, Logan knew he'd just have to go along with it...for the moment at least. As the group stood now, Peter followed Pyro first, with Warren and then Alex, who grumbled about not being able to see over Warren's wings. They all wore face masks that Pyro had presented to them, assured that they were all still wrapped in plastic and therefore not contaminated.

The only light was held by Pyro; the huge floodlight cast shadows over every surface. A thick, earthy smell tickled Logan's nose, as well as a few chemical scents. He tightened his hand into a fist, ready to fight should this turn out to be some sort of a trap. He couldn't count how many times they'd turned, or which directions they'd gone, but it seemed they'd been going on for quite a while, which might mean they'd been duped.

"Here," Pyro suddenly said. He stopped and turned to face the four behind him. "This is where Moira is." Opening the door, he stepped back and held the flood light up, illuminating the room and the tunnel way.

"You've made it!" A delighted, yet worn out feminine voice drifted out of the room, followed by a small coughing fit. As they passed by Pyro to enter the room, none of the first three turned to look at him, but when Logan passed by, he did. He contained his surprised at the pale features of the fire maniac. For his part, Pyro sneered at him, but Logan merely stopped himself from rolling his eyes before looking into the room.

"I'm so glad you're all here," Moira was saying. She was sitting in what looked like a medical bed, resting against the metallic wall. A table, obviously raised and covered in papers sat next to the bed, complex items written across them. She looked exceptionally tired, and every now and then a violent coughing fit rocked her body.

"We're ready to help you," Warren answered, moving closer to the table. "Is this what you've worked out so far?"

"Yes, yes but don't worry about that right now, I've got something more I've got to tell you," Moira answered, waving her hand in the air. She pushed herself away from the wall and carefully sat up. After a moment, she dragged herself off the bed and stood, a bit unsteadily, smiling weakly. "You can see I'm not quite myself," and she acknowledged her body with a wave of her hand, "so you'll have to forgive my slow movement."

"Don't worry about it," Peter said. "But you should probably sit down." Logan could see the impatience on Peter's face, despite his attempts to hide it.

"No, no, not right now. There's something you need to see, and something even more important I need to tell you. Hurry after me," and here Moira started shuffling out of the room. Logan resisted rolling his eyes again and stepped back of out the doorway. He glanced at Pyro, but the younger mutant was focused on Moira's movements.

"Is it true about the virus being out among everyone else?" Moira paused on her way out of the room, and looked at Logan.

"Yes," he said. "So far there haven't been any deaths, but it's sweeping through the mutant population, creating even more fear and animosity between mutants and humans."

"Oh no," Moira sighed. "We've got to hurry with this cure then. But now, follow me!" With Pyro and his floodlight leading the way, the four members of the team quietly followed Moira through the tunnels.

"Can things get any worse?" Logan heard Alex mutter to himself.

"Of course they can," Moira called back, and Alex started, surprised his voice had carried so far forward. "And things have already gotten worse here. It's all bad news, I'm afraid." Silence reigned once more, and Logan felt something heavy settle in the pit of his stomach.

_'What have we gotten ourselves into now?' _he wondered, and the fleeting image of Marie flashed through his mind before he, along with the rest of the group, stopped before another door. Moira reached for it and turned the handle, and they all entered the room to very bad news indeed.


	3. Her February

Author's Notes: Woo, 3rd chapter! And now you see how I have it set up, hopefully. I hope that this all works out! Now, I have to warn you, there will probably not be any updates for at least 2 weeks, 'cause my semester is coming down to crunch time and I have to do well! Hopefully I get get back on track with an update schedule then, and there will be more wonderful chapters for you to enjoy! Until then, please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men.

* * *

**_One Year_**

**Chapter Three**

--

Rogue woke up too early the next morning, her warm nest of covers not enough to keep her asleep. She glanced sleepily around the room, wondering why things felt different today. Like a ton of bricks, both realizations hit her.

First, Logan was leaving today, on his hunt for Moira and her plans for a cure for the Virus. Second, he had promised her…something last night. Rogue's hand flew to her neck, where she felt the necklace still attached. Sliding down the chain, her fingers caught the simple ring that served as the only adornment. A smile slid across her face and she released it, leaning back and stretching as she began to more fully wake up.

* * *

"It's really gotten nasty out there," Peter told her as she made her way through the kitchen, hunting for food.

"Hmm?" Rogue paused, looking out from the cabinets and out the window. Thick flakes of snow were blowing past, and the grounds were already completely covered with a white blanket. "Oh…wow," Rogue murmured. "That's not gonna make traveling easy."

"No kidding," Peter agreed. "That's not gonna stop me though. For all we know, this'll stop soon."

"Logan will travel through anything," Rogue added, smiling slightly. "Are you all packed and ready to go and everything?" she asked, noticing the bag sitting beside him.

"Yeah," Peter sighed, pushing his empty bowl away from him. "It's like I said, I'm really worried about this. If Magik is indeed Illyana, and I think she is, and she does have this virus…well, I just need to find out."

"Haven't you heard from her?" Rogue asked, bewildered. She did vaguely remember Peter mentioning his sister, but it seemed so very long ago. Too many things had happened since then, and he didn't really talk about her that much now.

"Not recently," Peter admitted. "Though we never kept in contact routinely, I did at least hear from her a couple times a year. I've always heard from her around the New Year though, and this past month I haven't heard anything."

"Oh Peter, if it is her, I hope she's ok," Rogue said, sympathy touching her voice. He only nodded, his clenched jaw betraying his pain to her. Warren struggled in then, interrupting any other conversations. "Morning!" Rogue said, turning to him. He grunted, something about it being too damn early, and Rogue had to smile as she continued getting her own breakfast together.

* * *

Later on, after Logan made his appearance in the kitchen, and eaten his own share of breakfast, the three members who would be leaving, plus Rogue, made their way towards the front hall. Peter and Warren hurried ahead while Rogue walked slower next to Logan.

"Be nice to Peter," she whispered to him. "He's really upset about this."

"Think I couldn't tell?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"No, it's just…you don't always act in the most sensitive manner," Rogue responded, grinning at him. He feigned hurt.

"That's not very nice to say," he said. "You wound me." He even put his hand over his heart to prove the point. Rogue giggled.

"Nice try Logan, but I mean it."

"I know, and I will do the best that I can. I know you're good friends with these two, so I will try to stay on their good side as well." Logan sighed. "This is not gonna be the most fun thing I've ever done, but I hope that it stops a lot of this messing around with genes and such."

"If not forever, maybe for a little while at least," Rogue allowed, reaching down and squeezing his hand. "I'm glad you're doing this." Logan looked down at her, squeezing her hand back.

"I'd probably do it anyway, but I have a little extra incentive in this case," he admitted. Rogue smiled up at him and they continued on.

* * *

Much talk and planning later, Alex joined those leaving. The snow didn't get any better, but it also didn't get any worse. As Logan started driving the SUV out of the garage, Storm let out a deep sigh.

"I'm not happy about this," she muttered as the small group of X-Men waved goodbye to the four leaving in the snow.

"Can't you do something about it then?" Rogue asked. "At least the weather part of it?"

"Rogue." Storm shot her a look, and Rogue held up her hands.

"Sorry, sorry, I know. Just saying. Anyways, don't worry, Logan'll drive safely. They'll get there fine."

"And back fine as well," Kitty added optimistically. She smiled encouragingly at Rogue, who refrained from gritting her teeth and smiled back.

"At any rate, let's go find Sage and Mystique," Rogue suggested. "I want to get this mission over as fast as possible as well myself."

"I think we all do," Storm allowed. She let the group back towards the main mansion.

"Rogue," Scott murmured, getting in step with her. "Did you know anything about Alex wanting to go with them?" Rogue looked over at him in surprise.

"No, Alex didn't mention it. But you know he's really bored here, Scott. He's not cut out for teaching, I don't think."

"It's just…well, he never mentioned it to me, you know? And I figured he would."

"Why, so you could talk him out of it?" Rogue asked, raising an eyebrow. "Come on Scott, you know yourself. Don't worry about it. Maybe he'll be better after an adventure."

"Yeah, maybe…" Scott trailed off, but he didn't say anything else about it.

* * *

As the rest of the mansion began to wake up and prepare for lessons, the excitement of the snow echoing through out, Storm, Rogue, and Kitty made their way to the empty classroom containing Sage and Mystique. It was time for their own meeting. Outside, the snow began to fall harder.

"So, we have interesting news," Sage announced as the three entered. Mystique sat sullenly in the center of the room, looking at nothing in particular.

"What's that?" Storm asked. Rogue found she couldn't look away from Mystique.

"Well, there are thirteen books total, right? And one is officially missing, which means only twelve are actually misplaced. Turns out that Charles got his hands on at least some of these books - which I thought he had. I'm pretty sure there were about six of them in his possession, which means that if they're here, we're almost halfway done."

"Charles had some of them?" Storm's voice was incredulous, and Rogue felt her own stomach drop. The Professor knew about these diaries, and didn't tell any of them? Something about that really…bothered her, to say the least.

"You knew he had them?" Kitty's bright voice, slight distrust underneath it, spoke out. "How did you know that?"

"I didn't know for sure he did," Sage said, shaking her head. "I merely suspected that he did. You know that I worked for him a long time ago. I remembered him telling me he had found some interesting artifacts that mentioned the future. Mystique here has verified that those artifacts are the same."

"She has? How?" asked Storm doubtfully. Rogue stared at the blue skinned mutant who was sitting perfectly still.

"I asked her if Charles had them," Sage answered simply. Rogue glanced over at Sage. While she did trust the mutant, she wasn't entirely certain she trusted her methods of gaining information, especially considering what she'd been involved with in the past.

"And she just told you?" Storm's voice was still doubtful.

"Not in so many words," Sage admitted. "More that…he…took them from her."

"He did." Mystique spoke for the first time, still looking at none of them. "I don't know how he found out about them, though I'm willing to believe Destiny had something to do with it, despite her being no longer around. He sent someone to collect them, and they took them from me as I was moving them from one place to another."

"Who did he send?" Storm asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Me," Sage answered. "I didn't know it was those books I was getting. He didn't even tell me what it was I was getting until after I returned, and even then he just mentioned that line about how he found artifacts about the future. I didn't ask questions then, I still just worked along with him. It wasn't too much longer after that that he sent me out from the mansion, to wor-…to do some other things."

"Wait a second," and now Kitty's confused voice cut through. "So you knew that the books were here too? You brought the books here?"

"I brought them here, yes, but I didn't know what they actually were. I didn't know about them until Mystique here started talking more about them."

"I can't believe the Professor would have just-"

"Why not?" Rogue cut in quietly. "The Professor did a lot of things that he thought were right. Why not gather together books that show the future? He could have argued it was only for the benefit of everyone because he was keeping them out of the hands of those who would be villains." She looked at Mystique, who had shifted her gaze onto her. "How many are supposed to be here?"

"Six," answered Mystique without hesitation. "But I can't believe he would have been foolish enough to keep them here, keeping everyone in the mansion in danger."

"If no one knew about them, they weren't any real danger," Rogue said. "So. Looks like our first mission is to search the mansion."

"Oh man…but it's so _big_," Kitty wailed.

"Brilliant deduction," Rogue said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, if we start with his room, plus the wings he frequented, there's a good chance that's where they are," Storm admitted. "But we're only going to be able to do it three at a time." Mystique had shifted and her eyes were getting a gleam. "Don't take too much offence at this Mystique, but we're going to have someone with you at all times, and you won't be allowed to search."

"We're not over this distrust of each other?" Mystique asked, a bit too craftily for Rogue's liking. Storm merely looked at the blue-skinned woman, who shrugged.

"Then I suggest, if everyone's had breakfast, we'll start looking today. Sage, you mind staying with Mystique for the day?"

"Not at all," Sage said cheerily. Mystique glowered.

* * *

Over the course of the next week and a half they scoured the mansion, looking in every room, every corner, and every nook they could think of. Through it all Rogue kept an eye on the news, noting the storm getting worse. It was hitting parts of the state, as well as the coast, pretty hard, and most of it looked like it was on the path Logan and the others would be taking to get to the Safe Haven grounds.

If that wasn't enough to worry about, new of the virus was spreading fast, and there was a strong call for all mutants to report for inspection, making certain the virus wasn't getting all mutants. Scott flat out refused to let any of the school's mutants go though, saying it was all a bunch of bull and that since no one was going anywhere, no one should be getting it. Storm worried it was only a matter of time before someone came knocking on the mansion's doors, but until then she agreed with Scott.

"Rogue! Phone!" Kitty raced up to Rogue who was looking through the back classrooms that probably hadn't been used since the mansion was new. Rogue looked up sharply.

"Is it Logan?" she asked, hurrying to her feet. Kitty nodded and held out the mansion's portable line.

"Logan?" Rogue asked, relief flooding through her body. "I was starting to get worried! Why haven't you called earlier? Where are you? Is everyone alright?"

"Calm down," came his familiar gruff voice. "Sorry to make you worry. There was no cell reception, and we're snowed into some town and the power went out for a while. We're all fine."

"Oh thank goodness," Rogue sighed. "So you've been stuck? How's that working out? How's Peter?" Logan started in then, and Rogue sat down, relaxing as he rambled on about what had been happening, including not being able to play poker. Just as he'd started to ask how she was however, she noticed Kitty running back in the room.

"Rogue!" Kitty was shouting.

"What?" Rogue answered back.

"We've found them, at least some of them! Hurry, come see them now!"

"Now? Ok, hold on…" Rogue sighed and turned her attention back to the phone. "Logan I've got to go, something's come up." She was unhappy about it and knew he could sense it. She also didn't like having to cut their conversation short, but there wasn't much she could do about it, she knew.

"Go on, go on, don't make them wait," he was saying.

"Ok," she said, smiling. He understood she knew, even if he wasn't happy about it. "Logan, I love you."

"Love you back," he answered, and unwillingly she hung up and hurried after the waiting Kitty.

* * *

"Only three? I thought there were supposed to be six here?" Rogue asked, looking at the books with the other four. The curtains in the classroom were thrown back, allowing the weak sunlight to lighten the room, casting shadows in the corners. Three volumes sat on the table in front of Mystique, who was stroking one of them lovingly. They were thin, elegantly covered in brown leather, and had no other marking upon them.

"Apparently the Professor split them up," Sage shrugged. "These were in a false door in the desk of a classroom - the one I think you teach in, Rogue."

"Really?" Rogue frowned. Truthfully, she didn't use the desk much, but she never would have suspected a false drawer. She eyed the books. "Where are we going to keep them now?"

"I'll put them back where they were until we find the others," Storm said, gracefully scooping them up from Mystique, ignoring the glare. "This is good news though, now we know exactly what we're looking for."

"Right," Kitty nodded, her eyes looking wide and excited. "Three more to go!" Rogue wished she could share the enthusiasm, but found she couldn't. There were actually ten more to go, and seven of those wouldn't be nearly so easy to find, she was sure. She trailed out of the room, leaving Mystique with Sage yet again.

* * *

Nearly another week had passed, and no sign of the other three books had risen. Sage and Storm finally let Rogue keep an eye on Mystique as they continued to scour the mansion. Rogue sat in the window of the classroom, looking out at the snow-covered scene every so often.

"Why did you really agree to look for them?" Mystique suddenly asked, breaking the silence that had, up until then, ruled the room.

"Sorry?" Rogue asked, breaking out of her thoughts as she turned to fully look at Mystique.

"Why did you really agree to look for the diaries?" Mystique asked again. Her yellow eyes were curious.

"Why did you ask me to help you find them?" Rogue asked back.

"I figured it would intrigue you," Mystique answered. "Especially knowing you were an important figure in them."

"It doesn't intrigue me," Rogue sighed, shaking her head. "It just bothers me. I don't want to know my future. I don't want to know what is going to happen."

"That's not quite…" but Mystique trailed off as Kitty walked through the wall.

"Lunch!" she said cheerfully. "Having fun in here?" she asked as she set the tray down on the desk.

"Absolutely," Rogue answered dryly, but Kitty only smiled. "Bobby says 'hey'" she added as she turned to leave.

"Hey back then," Rogue answered, and Kitty waved as she disappeared.

"Is she always so…chipper?" Mystique asked, a bit disdainfully.

"She tries to be," Rogue sighed, helping herself to the food. "I think it's something of a cover, though. Hungry?" At her invitation, Mystique settled in to eat herself. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you…" Rogue started.

"Oh?" Mystique merely looked at her.

"You left me something…last time you were here." Mystique smirked at Rogue's comment.

"Believe it or not, that belonged to Destiny. She asked me that I give it to someone who needed it more than her. At this point, I think you do."

"Need it?" Rogue asked doubtfully, thinking of the trinket-like figurine.

"It was something of a lucky charm to her," Mystique said, unable to quite the hide the smile playing around her lips.

"I have to admit, I was surprised to see it. The note too."

"Oh, do you still have that?" Mystique asked, and for once looked slightly embarrassed.

"Oddly enough, yes," Rogue admitted. "I liked what it said. '_Love is not in our heads, but in our hearts. It spans everything.'_" she quoted then.

"Yes…" A far-away look entered Mystique's eyes for a minute, but then her yellow gaze was back on Rogue. "That's true you know."

"I know," Rogue said quietly, thinking of Logan. Had either one of them been completely sensible, perhaps nothing would have happened. Thank goodness they hadn't, in the end.

The rest of the time passed in silence, each mutant lost in their own thoughts, their own pasts.

* * *

Two days later Rogue found the other three diaries in the Danger Room. Locked within the control panel, the thin volumes sat innocently in a hidden chamber, just waiting to be found. As she hurried through the halls, clutching the books to her chest, Rogue caught a glimpse out the window.

The snow still hadn't melted, and while the storm had mostly passed through another one was tailing behind. Chances were it wouldn't amount to much, but the sleet it was dropping on the mansion made that difficult to believe. Rogue sighed and hurried on. February always was the worst month.

* * *

"Storm!" spying the white haired woman first, Rogue dashed towards her. Catching Rogue's bright tone, Storm's face was first hopeful, then excited when she turned.

"Let me hurry and grab the others," she said. "Find Kitty and I'll meet up with you two, Sage and Mystique in a minute."

"Alright," Rogue agreed, setting off for the attics where Kitty was supposed to be.

* * *

"Yay!" Kitty squealed when Rogue found her. "Now we've already got six of them!" This continued on as they made their way towards the classroom that had become home base and Rogue had never felt so relieved to see Sage and Mystique. Not a minute after they walked through the doors did Storm follow in, and soon the six volumes were spread out in front of them, innocence on the desk.

"Well, there we have it," Sage said softly. "Six diaries, no longer misplaced."

"Thank goodness," Mystique murmured, her gaze more gentle then normal.

"So now what?" Rogue asked. "Do we even know where to begin for any of the others?"

"Well," Mystique started. "I'm not certain."

"Where were they supposed to be?" Storm asked patiently.

"I moved them from place to place," Mystique admitted, "to keep them safer. I thought they were in an abandoned area near Destiny's home, but I couldn't find them there."

"Destiny's home?" Sage interrupted. "That house down in Mississippi?"

"Yes," Mystique said icily.

"That's where I went to get those six," Sage explained. "You kept the other seven within that general area, then?"

"I tried to spread them out over it, but mostly, yes," Mystique answered.

"Then why don't we go down to Mississippi and look around the house, just for starters?" Storm suggested. "If nothing else, it gives us a place to start."

"They shouldn't be there," Mystique insisted.

"But it gives us a starting place," Rogue echoed, looking at Mystique. The blue skinned mutant looked at her, her face emotionless.

"Fine," she muttered. Then, "What are we going to do with these?" and she gestured towards the six diaries.

"I don't think we should take them with us, do you?" Sage said thoughtfully. "That's just like asking for trouble."

"I agree," Storm nodded. "We could simply put them back in their hiding places here, until we return."

"That might be the best plan," Rogue added. "They've been safe there for a while now, they should be alright until we get back." Mystique looked disappointed, but she didn't say anything.

"Well, it's getting late now," Sage said. "Let's not even think about leaving tonight. We'll wait until tomorrow, at least."

"And if the weather's bad, I don't mind waiting a bit longer," Rogue added, thinking of the weather prediction. "We don't have Peter pushing us out the door - I don't think we're in a real hurry." She smiled at the thought of her friend, and the others, except Mystique, grinned too.

"Then let's put these back," Storm said, "and reconvene on this tomorrow."

* * *

They ended up waiting two days before leaving, since the second storm that passed through added quite a lot of ice to the area.

"We can't take the jet ourselves," Storm said logically as they were discussing their leaving options. "For all the reasons Logan and the others couldn't."

"Will we fly commercial then?" Sage asked.

"The airlines are still really backed up," Rogue said, breaking her gaze from the television. All that was on the news these days were stories about the storms going through and the virus, but those were the only things she was interested in anyway.

"It's a really long drive to Mississippi," Mystique said, her tone unfeeling.

"Driving…" Storm sighed.

"Why don't we?" Kitty asked. "Just road trip it. We already know we're not in any huge hurry. It's better than sitting around an airport." She seemed a bit more subdued then normal, and Rogue hated to admit it, but it worried her.

"Well, we could," Sage admitted. "We aren't in any huge hurry."

"It could be dangerous, just because of the virus," Storm started. "There's a huge level of mistrust out there right now."

"No one has to know we're mutants," Rogue said. "Right, Mystique?" She looked over to see Mystique had already changed into a nondescript woman.

"Looks like we've got something of a plan then…" Sage said. "Pack your bags girls. We'll leave bright and early in the morning."

"Nice," Kitty said, smiling brightly.

"Hurrah," Rogue said, smiling at Storm. "It'll be fun, Storm, don't worry."

"I know, I just hate to be away from here for too long," Storm admitted.

"Scott and Hank are here, plus Bobby. It'll be fine," Sage said. Storm didn't look convinced.

* * *

"Hey Rogue?" Kitty's voice accompanied the knock at Rogue's door.

"Yeah? Come in," Rogue answered as Kitty walked through the door. "What's up?" Kitty looked…down, was the only way to describe it. Her usual façade of brightness was gone, and it looked like tears were threatening to spill.

"I don't know what to do," Kitty sniffed as she settled into one of the chairs in Rogue's room.

"About what?" Rogue asked, alarm in her voice. "Kitty, what happened?"

"Did you know that Storm is having dinner with Hank right now?" Kitty said, confusing Rogue. "But Scott is locked away in his room, unhappy because Jean, Maddie, and Alex are all gone. Peter and Warren aren't here, which makes things boring for Bobby." Her voice wobbled dangerously over that name, Rogue noticed. "And you stay away in your room all the time too, because Logan isn't here now. Although when he was here, it was the two of you always gone." She paused.

"Kitty?" Rogue didn't know what question to ask. After a moment, the petite girl continued on.

"Even Jimmy has been hanging out with some girl, lately."

"Jimmy has?" Rogue felt a guilty start - she hadn't really made an effort to see Jimmy lately, and the news was a surprise to her. Before she could ask who, Kitty sighed loudly.

"Jubilee was warming up to Peter, did you know? She asked him to make sure he came back here safely."

"What?" Rogue asked, unable to hide her shock. She knew that Jubilee had started to change and mature since the whole ordeal with Safe Haven, but to know that she had started chasing after Peter…

"I know you've been too wrapped up in teaching and Logan to pay much attention to what else has been going on. Peter and Warren neither one ever know what's going on with you, and Bobby keeps asking me to talk to you."

"I do hang out with all of you though," Rogue protested.

"Not really," Kitty said. "At least, the guys don't think so. And I don't think they're offended or whatever, they're all just surprised that you don't seem to care. I mean, you were gone for an awful long time during the New Year's party we had."

"Well, Logan doesn't always like hanging around with the crowd," Rogue said defensively, her eyes narrowing.

"I know," Kitty responded, biting her lip. "It's just that…" Kitty shook her head then and stood up. "Never mind, you know? I'm gonna go to bed. I should be well rested for this trip."

"Wait, Kitty," Rogue started, but she was already walking through the door. Rogue stared after her, her mind full of confusion and concern.

* * *

As she lay in bed, Rogue imagined Logan was there beside her, his arms wrapped safely around her. She sighed, wondering if her friends thought she was abandoning them for Logan. She'd have to apologize, she figured, but that was fine. Maybe she needed to. And after everything was over, it'd all settle back down, to normal as it could be. Everything would be fine again. She drifted into an uneasy sleep, missing Logan terribly.


	4. His March

Author's Notes: Guess who's back! I know it has been a ridiculously long time, but I am back with more chapters for y'all! The good news for this story is that I actually have it all mapped out, all that is left is actually writing the chapters - I think that means it will make it a lot easier to update much more frequently. Now, there is some science-y stuff in this chapter, and I have never claimed to be a science expert, so I hope I explained things well enough (and keep in mind, some of the stuff is based on how the virus is explained in the comics as well!) Also, I'm not certain I'm happy with Logan's portrayal here, but I think it works, so I'll leave it at that. Until the next (hopefully soon!) update, please enjoy!

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men.

* * *

_**One Year**_

**Chapter Four**

--

"Marie?" Logan knew his voice sounded rougher than normal. Probably lack of use; he hadn't been talking much to anyone lately.

"I'm here, Logan." The cell phone signal was weak and her voice was faint, even to his ears. "What's going on there? What have you found out?" As always, her happiness at talking to him spilled into her voice. He felt himself immediately relaxing and marveled at the effect she had on him.

"Nothing good." Logan took a deep breath and passed his hand over his eyes, pressing slightly. His mind was going a million miles a minute, reflecting on all that he had seen in the past weeks. How to best word any of it was beyond his conversation skills, even with her.

"Sounds positive." He sighed at her sarcasm and she immediately backtracked. "Sorry, sorry. I know it has got to be frustrating there. It's frustrating for me too."

"No, I know. And thanks. As far as I know, the doc and the flying boy are on the verge of a breakthrough." He heard her breathe in sharply; she hated his habit of giving people their own special Wolverine nickname. Probably why he still did it. Not wanted to risk her lecture on that though, he hurriedly added, "Any luck with those diaries?"

"Ugh." In his mind, Logan could see her flopping back in her chair with the weight of that sigh, and smiled, despite himself. "I'm starting to wonder if this was all a mistake. I knew there was gonna be a wild goose chase aspect, but I really was feeling pretty optimistic about it all, you know?"

"I know, darlin'. Everyone still treating each other civilly at least?"

"Like Mystique?" Of course Marie knew what he was really asking. "Yeah, as much as can be expected. Leadership roles are still being fought over. Kitty is…okay. But the worst is just that you're not here. I miss you a lot and -- "

"And what?" After a lengthy pause, Logan looked down at the phone and cursed. Damn thing had lost the signal completely, cutting Marie away from him. Staying out here was getting to be more and more frustrating. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, he stared out at the snowy landscape; the whiteness was nearly blinding against the sun. Stuffing the phone back into his pocket and pulling out the face mask, Logan frowned darkly. "I miss you too, Marie."

* * *

The space underground had been used specifically for secret projects by Mister Sinister, Moira had told them. Peter and Warren had been intrigued at first. Alex, who had been at Safe Haven for a little while, and Logan, who had been involved in secret projects himself, were more wary of what such a term actually meant. Moira's brief overview of the notes she had read through and what she had seen since being there proved Alex and Logan's suspicions correct. It chilled Logan to the adamantium-covered bone to think about what even mutants were willing to do to each other.

On the first day they had arrived, Moira and Pyro had given them a short tour. The hallway paths were finished with cement blocks, and had no lights running through them. In slight contrast, many of the rooms were left unfinished. The bare, earthy walls were smoothed down, and occasionally covered in plastic. Most contained sophisticated equipment, adding a surreal feeling to the place. Moira told them that some rooms had held captives and resembled hospital rooms, but fear of the virus kept them away from those rooms. A few rooms had been designed as sparse living quarters, but the vast majority were specifically for scientific experiments. The paths between the rooms crossed and re-crossed in a dizzying pattern, but staying in the place for nearly two weeks had helped most of the group figure out which paths to take.

Now, Logan made his way with relative ease to the room he had claimed for himself. To his surprise, Alex had chosen to bunk with him, saying it was better to stay in pairs. At the time, Logan had shrugged, not caring too much. Unless he was woken up with snoring, Logan found he was willing to put up with the younger Summers brother. For one, he thought it was hilarious that the kid seemed to admire him more than he admired his brother, which he knew ticked off the elder Summers. For two, he knew Alex didn't get along wonderfully with Warren and Peter. No fault of any of them, just that those two had been friends longer. Logan knew just how easy it was to stay on the outside, and not bother with people.

Entering the room, Logan sighed and wondered once again how safe it was to be here. He wasn't too concerned for himself, but the other three didn't have the immune system he did. That and Moira wasn't a hundred percent sure how many ways the virus was able to be passed along. If a cure wasn't possible, would it be safe for them to return to the mansion? And would it be safe for him to be around Marie? He flopped back on his bed and closed his eyes wearily, the missing warmth of Marie as painful as always.

* * *

_Moira reaches for the door handle and turns it. She leads us past Pyro; I can feel the heat radiating off him, whether from his power or a fever, I'm not sure. He's aiming the floodlight into the room, leaving the corners in shadows. Entering, I peer over the heads of the three kids and blink. The sterile room looks something like a hospital. From a bed, Magneto stares back at us._

_I can feel my skin crawl with instinct and hatred and I flinch, expecting at any moment to be unable to move. The Wolverine is struggling to act out against him; it's all I can do to contain it. As the seconds tick by, I realize several things. One, he's contained behind a thick plastic wall. Two, he looks practically dead. His skin, always pale, is near translucent; the shocking blue of his veins draws my eyes first. He's sunken into the bed as if he's been there a while; he gives off none of the vibes of fear he seemed so proud of. He just looks…old. And sick. The weirdest thing is his eyes. The pale blue, unsettling against his paler features, gives him an freakishly ominous look. He makes no effort to move, or speak, but his eyes tell of the rage he feels. I stare back at him, startled at the change in this once powerful man. I twitch my fingers, just to check. They still move._

"_He's just laying there." Peter voices the obvious and it cuts through the silence. Magneto glares at him. I stare at the plastic wall between us. Can he hear us? Pyro shifts; the light dances around momentarily._

"_He's too weak to move." Moira's voice is so soft it's almost impossible to hear. "And using his powers makes the illness worse. He's definitely felt the effects of that." Her quiet words reverberate around the room, and I feel almost dizzy. What exactly are we up against? If it reduced Magneto to this, what chance do any of us have? Marie dances in front of me, and --_

"Logan!"

Logan jolted up, claws out, awakened from sleep. He'd been dreaming about that first day they'd arrived here almost every time he went to sleep. Unfortunately, the nightmare he woke up from was still reality. He couldn't get away from it and he couldn't fight it.

"What it is?" His voice was loud, and Alex almost looked chastised. Almost. As he stood in the safety of the doorway, not cowering at his tone or the claws, Logan realized the kid was apparently growing used to his temperament. His number one defense against people was losing effect. He growled, frustrated by that as much as the inactivity of staying in this place.

"Moira and Warren think they've worked something out and wanted to go over it with us all."

"Oh." Logan studied his hands as his claws retracted. Those two had been pouring over Moira's notes and other paperstuff since the second day the group had arrived. It was nothing that Logan had been too excited to help with; an academic he was definitely not. Clenching his fists, Logan stood up and faced Alex. Why was he feeling anxious about what they'd found? It wasn't like it was the end of the world…yet. "Better get this over with," he finally said, moving toward the door. Alex shrugged and disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

The room was crowded. It was one of the larger rooms, but it definitely hadn't been designed for meetings. Moira and Warren were by the small table that had been brought in. Settled in a chair, Moira was too pale and her coughing, while no more frequent, was still violent. Warren was shuffling through some papers, his face expressionless. Peter was already there, leaning against a wall. Since he'd found out the truth about his sister, he'd grown as quiet and sullen as Logan. A few moments after Alex and Logan arrived, Pyro walked in, followed by 3 others. Two of them were wearing something that looked like Haz-mat suits.

"Paranoid much?" Alex was looking at the three with strong distrust. Pyro glanced at him and smirked.

"Allow me to introduce you all." Moira smiled, albeit not happily, at the group. She gestured towards Warren. "This is Angel, who's been helping me. His father worked on the original Cure that was distributed to mutants. By the wall is Colossus, Havok, and Wolverine." When named, each inclined his head.

"Nice to meet you all." One of the Haz-mat-suited figures spoke. The feminine voice startled Logan.

"Meet the Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver. You know their father, Magneto. Behind them is Multiple Man." Moira sighed and settled back into her chair. "So, would you like to know what we've discovered?"

* * *

"I don't understand," the Scarlet Witch said. "Can my brother and I be infected or not?"

"Yes. Well, we think so." Warren was fast approaching flustered and Logan felt for the kid. Moira had allowed him to explain, but being put on the spot, especially in front of Magneto's kids, seemed to make him extremely nervous. Moira held up her hands, interrupting the two and silencing them.

"Allow me break it down for you again. First, the science behind it. This is viroid, which is scientifically different than a virus. However, it is still a pathogen, which is why it is infectious. It works by affecting a person's genes. Looking through what we've found, it appears that original design was to infect mutants. In humans without mutated genes the viroid would simply die and the person would never know he or she had contracted it."

"The person would have no ill effects?" Alex asked his question softly, as if afraid to interrupt Moira.

"As far as we can tell," Moira answered, nodding slightly. "However, in humans with mutated genes, humans who are called mutants, the viroid actually attacks the same mutant RNA that gives mutants their powers. In very simple terms, the viroid puts 'junk' DNA into the mutant RNA coding. Based on our observations of Magneto, this starts when the mutant uses his powers for the first time after contracting the viroid. If the mutant continues to use his powers, it appears to accelerate the process. This junk DNA messes with the replication process in the mutant RNA and eventually leaves the mutant's body unable to make healthy cells. This leads to death."

"Complicated stuff." Quicksilver spoke for the first time.

"True, but it gets even more so. Are we ok with the basic process behind it though?" Moira looked out over the group, waiting.

"Yeah. It attacks the mutant part of us and we die from that." Logan knew he was really simplifying down, but Moira smiled at him.

"In the most basic of terms, that's pretty much it."

"Ok, so how does it get more complicated?" The Scarlet Witch was leaning forward, impatience written into her stance.

"Well, there are currently three separate strains of it." Moira was tapping her chin thoughtfully as she began to explain. "What Angel and I have started calling TYPE-I is the first strain, and probably the original strain. What I think is most likely is that it was developed here by Mister Sinister. I can't say for certain if he discovered it by accident when working with mutant RNA or not - his notes are unclear on that. At any rate, TYPE-I is pretty messy. It looks for mutant RNA to know if the human is a proper target; if the human is mutant, it will attack all cells, making it akin to cancer. It acts fairly quickly and isn't pleasant. At this point, we've theorized that Mister Sinister shared this information with Malcolm, this other man involved in the work down here. My guess is that Mister Sinister worked down here while Malcolm spent time out in the public, keeping him up to date. Based on speculation, Malcolm brought back a sample of the Cure that was being distributed. Looking at the design of the Cure, it seems that Mister Sinister was somehow able to combine the TYPE-I strain with the Cure, creating a TYPE-II strain. This TYPE-II strain is much more selective; when the mutant RNA is identified, it attacks only the mutant RNA. It also works at a much slower rate, dragging out the process. Thanks to the sophisticated design and the influence of the Cure, the way this strain attacks the mutant RNA makes it possible that it will render an infected mutant powerless."

"You once hypothesized that the Cure worked like a virus - infecting the mutant body, but the body was able to fight it off." Logan remembered Marie telling him about the lecture Moira had given while Marie had been trapped at Safe Haven. "So you're saying that this guy managed to make the Cure actually work? It just kills mutants at the same time."

"Well…yes." Moira's tone indicated her surprise, but she was wise enough not to question Logan in the presence of Magneto's children. The two of them, plus Multiple Man, were already looking at him with surprise, and some suspicion.

"And like I said before," Warren quickly added, "it's possible this Malcolm guy managed to get the TYPE-II strain out in the public, disguised as the Cure. And when Magneto was hit with four vials of it…well, when he used his power it triggered the TYPE-II strain with four times the expected intensity. That in itself was probably enough to do him in, but after being brought to Safe Haven in secret, being subjected to Mister Sinister's tests definitely didn't help him recover any."

"He will recover." The bristling of the siblings, and the Scarlet Witch's frosty tone brought momentary quiet to the room.

"I'm still unsure about some things." Alex broke the silence. "One, the Cure has stopped distribution, so how is it that mutants are still falling ill? There are probably some that got this TYPE-II strain from the Cure, like you said, but that was way late in the game. Also, if both strains only affect mutants, how do you think you contracted this disease, Moira?"

"This is where it can get even more confusing," Moira admitted.

"We're gonna need some kind of picture chart to keep track pretty soon." Whether or not Alex was joking, Logan wasn't entirely certain. Moira was frowning as she answered.

"Mister Sinister got his hands on a mutant who was of very special interest to him. She was able to scan the genetic structure of a living being and then alter it however she wished. Such an ability fascinated Mister Sinister, I've no doubt, as much as he loved to research genetics. She was called Infectia and was kept here; in fact, she was here when I was first brought here, but she was very sick. Mister Sinister had infected her with the TYPE-II strain simply to see what happened to her. According to his notes on the project, her powers tried to save her by changing the design of the strain. In trying to do so, her powers removed the part of the strain that looked specifically for mutant RNA, making it non-selective. In other words, not only was Infectia still dying from the infection, she also managed to create a TYPE-III strain that would infect and kill both humans and mutants alike."

"So you think working with Infectia caused you to contract this TYPE-III strain?" Moira nodded at Alex's question.

"That still doesn't explain why the rest of the population is gettin' sick now," Logan objected, puzzling through Moira's explanation.

"We've got some theories," Warren said. "First, Brent Jackson, the former director of Safe Haven, escaped here with Infectia. It's possible he took samples of the TYPE-II strain. It could be substituted for any shot, like a regular flu shot, and infect the population. Once mutants are being affected, he could continue to infect them by touting this strain as a cure, or, even worse, a vaccine for the infection. If cities are already rounding up mutants for fear of this illness, it would make it extremely easy to infect all mutants with it."

"Second," Moira continued, "is Infectia. It's more than likely that the TYPE-III strain is an airborne pathogen. If Jackson had her interact with people at all, she might have passed along her infection. If that's true, it's probably still being passed along. And since it doesn't differentiate between mutants and humans, it will continue to move rapidly throughout the population."

"What's worse," added Warren, "is the repercussions of humans getting sick. Since mutants were affected first, it's going to look like what they had, the TYPE-II, was passed along to the rest of the population. Despite it actually being a different strain, it's still not going to look good for them."

"In the end, it might just create the war Father was hoping for…" The Scarlet Witch's quiet musings left a sense of discomfort in the room. Logan knew, of course, that Magneto had predicted, and even tried to incite, a huge war between non-mutants and mutants, but he doubted the man had expected it to be caused by an illness. Speaking of that…

"So, if you got infected by this mutant because the strain she created is airborne…are we safe bein' here?" Logan finally voiced the fear that had started to gnaw away at him ever since being here.

"I'm hoping the face masks and other precautions we've taken will prevent that," Moira answered. "Plus, I'm expecting to create a cure for it as well, you know."

"What about my sister?" Peter finally spoke, and everyone turned to him in surprise. Logan was startled by the pain visible on the kid's face. He was trying to hide it, but wasn't doing so well. "Can you save her?"

"I hope so." Moira's expression was too sad for Logan to believe the girl in question was going to survive. "But as I told you, she was one of the original subjects that Mister Sinister worked on, and she's suffering from the TYPE-I strain. She's worse off than Pyro, or even Magneto."

"Leave me out of this." Logan looked between the geneticist and the defiant fire maniac with raised eyebrows.

"Even though he doesn't want to admit it, he was given the TYPE-II strain." Moira's words filled the room with silence once again, and Logan suddenly realized just how lucky Marie had been at Safe Haven. She would say that the testing Mister Sinister had put her through was a nightmare, but at least she hadn't been infected with a disease. The Wolverine was rising up within him, rage at the nerve of people who treated mutants like playthings--

"So." Quicksilver thankfully interrupted Logan's thoughts. "You know what this virus is. You know the three strains of it, and how all three affect us. You even think you know how they've been distributed. So, how soon will you have a cure?"

"And should we be worried about it infecting us?" The Scarlet Witch referred back to her original question that had restarted the whole conversation.

"I don't know." Moira's frustration cut clearly though her voice. "If it's airborne, no one is probably safe. And as far as a cure, it's time-consuming. Even after studying all three strains, even after studying people who have been infected with each strain, even after pouring over all the notes Mister Sinister had, as well as our own, a cure is still not clear. It was a major breakthrough just to piece everything we have so far together in a sensible way."

"Alright, don't get worked up and make yourself worse. Thank you for the update. Let us know more when you can." Quicksilver stood up, followed by his sister and the silent Multiple Man. As they turned to leave the room, a look from Moira caused Pyro to stand up and follow them, scowling and sighing heavily as he did so.

"Infectia has already died." As soon as they were gone, Peter spoke directly to Moira. "My sister is weakening every day. You must hurry to help her!" He left then, too quickly for a response. Moira started out the doorway after him, frustration replaced by sadness.

"Infectia is already dead? The TYPE-III works that fast?" Alex sounded as worried as Logan felt after hearing that, but Warren was already shaking his head.

"Part of it had to do with the reaction of her body - she was already weakening from the way her body was fighting it. Whatever happened to her with Brent Jackson didn't help her condition any either. And she was brought back here by force. Everything was working against her." He shifted, rustling his wings. "I've been really busy working with Moira here," and now his voice was soft, "and I'm worried about Peter. His sister, Illyana is not doing well at all. She'll be lucky to make it another month. Can you guys keep an eye on him or something?"

"How, exactly?" Alex looked puzzled.

"Never mind him, sure." Logan needed something to do to distract him from the nothing he was doing these days. Shadowing Peter was something to do, even if it didn't sound like fun. Besides, with Marie being such good friends with Peter, she would be really upset that he was ignoring the guy at such a terrible point in his life.

"Thanks," Warren said, his own sadness evident. "Illyana means a lot to him."

"Yeah yeah," Logan looked at the two of them, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Are we done here?"

"Not quite. Logan, I'm curious," began Moira. "How did you know of my hypothesis for the Cure? I haven't had a chance to publish it publicly and only presented it while at Safe Haven."

"Marie was there when you gave the lecture, and she told me about it later when she had returned to the Professor's mansion."

"Marie?" Moira looked puzzled.

"You know her as Rogue," Warren explained. "Logan here is the only one who ever calls her by her real name. Actually, he's the only one she allows to call her to do so."

"Oh!" Moira responded, smiling with understanding. Then, "Have you been in touch with anyone at the mansion recently, Logan?"

"No," Logan shook his head. "Should I?"

"Go ahead. With what we've discovered so far, they should definitely be kept up to date. It might help keep the government away too. So if you don't mind, thank you." Logan nodded. As Moira and Warren started gathering up their papers, Logan sighed, stuck his hands in his pockets, and left the room. Talking about Marie had reminded him of her absence even more. The longer he stayed here, doing nothing and away from her, the more antsy, impatient and gruff he got. He didn't really want to talk to Peter at all, but maybe it would be enough to clear his mind.

* * *

"And the Professor?"

"The man who the Professor's mind was livin' in died. At this point, Doc MacTaggert is not certain what happened to the Professor's mind, but she thinks he's still out there somewhere."

"Interesting. And slightly concerning, but thank you for the update on what's been going on there," Beast said.

"No problem," Logan answered. "Since these underground lines only call Safe Haven numbers, it's a good thing Sage left her phone there for us to have easy contact. Regular cell reception is next to nothin' up here."

"Unusual," remarked Beast. "Though if that place was designed by an evil genius, I suppose he'd want to limit contact by his location. Fairly sensible."

"Yeah well, I'm goin' crazy here. I am not a sit around kind of guy."

"Unfortunately, I don't know how to help you out with that. Perhaps you could find a hobby. Woodcarving, maybe?"

"You're lucky you're not standin' next to me, bub," Logan answered, but Beast only chuckled.

"Just keep me updated," was what he said. "And feel free to call more frequently. You certainly kept us waiting for this call."

"Yeah. Bye." Logan hung up and stalked away from the phone.

* * *

Logan found himself outside again, staring at the empty landscape. He held an unlit cigar between his fingers, idly switching it from hand to hand. The sun was going down and it was cooling off quickly, but he still didn't go inside. Nothing was waiting for him there. He couldn't do anything until Moira and Warren made a cure for this stupid virus, and apparently it was gonna take a while. It was pointless, him being here. Useless.

"Need a light?" Pyro appeared from behind the white building, coughing slightly, and Logan stared at him. In the dimming light, his pale features made him appear even more unhealthy. He had traveled with this boy once, along with Bobby, and Marie, before the boy had left to side with Magneto. Logan wondered if Pyro regretted that decision.

"I'm good," he finally said. Pyro shrugged and went inside, down to the tunnels and underground research rooms. Logan looked back out at the snowy scene, raising his eyes slowly up to the sky. He inhaled the cool air slowly, before letting it out with a sigh.

"What am I doin' here, Marie?" But she wasn't there to answer.

* * *

A few days later, Logan actually started looking for Peter. According to Alex, he split his time between staying with his sister and staying in his room. Since Logan wasn't exactly thrilled to be around someone with the virus, he opted to knock on the door to Peter's room. When there was no response, he checked the handle. Unlocked, the door swung open and he peered around the doorway into the room. Peter was stretched out across his bed, eyes closed. His sketchbook was beside him, open to a blank page.

"I was hoping you'd go away." Normally shy and quiet, his transformation to sullen and angry had also made him antisocial. Logan was aware of the similarities.

"Yeah well, I didn't. So what?" At Logan's voice, Peter sat up, staring at him for a moment. When he finally spoke, his tone was accusatory.

"What do you want? Gonna lecture me about keeping my chin up? When all you've done since we left is mope about being away from Rogue."

"No, I wasn't plannin' on it, and all you've done is mope about your sister," Logan pointed out, knowing it wasn't the same thing.

"It's not the same thing."

"Point. Look, just checkin' up on you. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Leadin' a team, makin' sure that everyone's alive and whatnot."

"Leading?" Peter snorted and laid back down. "Like I said, all you do is mope."

"I think I liked you better when you didn't talk." Logan stared down at Peter, who wasn't looking at him. "And I don't mope."

"Like hell you don't." Peter sat up and stared hard at Logan. "You know I only came on this trip, or mission, or whatever 'cause of my sister. Warren came for the knowledge. Alex came to get away from his brother. Why'd you come? You should have gone with Rogue. You're not happy doing nothing, especially away from her. You don't have any reason to be here."

"Maybe you're right," Logan agreed, trying to contain a growl. "But if I'd stayed at the mansion, I'd still be doing nothing. As for not going with Marie, it was pretty clear I was getting outvoted on that one. She's strong, it's not like she can't take care of herself. A little separation never killed anyone. So here I am. Trying to do something to help with this virus stuff. Least I can do." He tried not to think of the separation he'd had from Marie when she'd been taken.

"Except you're not helping out. You don't even talk to anyone, unless you're forced to. Even Alex visited Illyana with me. He goes and helps Warren and Moira sometimes too. You just mope outside or in your room."

"And you mope too. You're not the only one sufferin' from this, or who will be sufferin', don't forget that."

"Suffering? Of course I am, my sister is dying and there's nothing I can do about it. Whatever, like you even care. If it weren't for Rogue, you wouldn't be anywhere near any of us anyway. You would have left the mansion for good. You wouldn't know anything about this. You'd just be another mutant in the crowd."

"And yet, I'm here, aren't I?" Logan growled. "And I'm not turnin' my back." He turned and stomped out of the room, the irony of his statement and actions lost on him.

* * *

Alex wisely chose not to talk to him for a few days.

* * *

"Hey Marie…this feels weird. Hope your searching is going well. Some progress has been made here concerning the virus. Hopefully that'll lead to a cure. Here's hopin' that works out soon. I love you."

With a _click_, Logan closed the phone. It was the first time he'd had to leave a voicemail for Marie. He tried to tell himself it was nothing to worry about.

* * *

After several days of deliberating and time wasting, Logan finally went to see Illyana. Choosing a time when no one else would be there, he took a hesitant peek in the room. Initially, he was a little sorry he had done so. Physically, the girl looked similar to Magneto - very pale and bedridden. Long blonde hair that had probably been quite pretty at some point was now stringy and falling out. She laid as still as if she'd already died, but her blue eyes were open and filled with pain. An electronic speaker system allowed for communication between the plastic barrier that separated her from any visitors, but she didn't speak much.

All in all, it was very depressing.

As Logan sat there and watched her, he began to think. This girl was Peter's sister - no wonder he was so distraught to see her like this. How long had it been since he'd seen her? When he knew her, she had been healthy. While Marie had been missing, Logan had imagined all sorts of horrible things happening to her, but she had returned to him healthy, even though she couldn't remember him. Even that had eventually changed, and he had gotten Marie back, safe and whole. But this…as long as there was no cure, Peter wasn't getting his sister back. Logan found himself wondering how many mutants were already infected? How many families would go through the pain of watching their loved ones die?

The longer he looked at Illyana, the easier it was to imagine Marie there, sick and dying, and him unable to help her.

Peter was right. Logan probably would have been long gone from the mansion by now if he hadn't had Marie gently pulling him back. Hell, he probably would still be wandering around, alone, angry, bitter, and confused about his past. But it was Marie who'd led him to the X-Men, and it was Marie who'd somehow been the factor in his always returning there. Thanks to that, he'd learned a little more about himself, but he'd also learned a lot more about love. After what had happened with Jean, he'd also learned a little bit about healing. His nature had always been about distrust and being alone, but being with Marie had shown him that a little trust in a particular person could make a world of difference.

Logan stood up.

It didn't matter what his reasons for coming here had been initially. He was here now, and it was his responsibility to make sure no one else had to go through what Peter was going through. As an X-men, he had a responsibility to all mutants. As himself however, he had a responsibility to Marie. Giving Illyana one last look, he nodded to himself, then left the room.

He missed the almost inaudible sigh from her as she left. He also missed the tear making its lonely way down her cheek.

* * *

"Alright, it's been nearly a month since we got here," Logan announced to the surprised faces of Moira, Warren, and Alex. "You think you've figured out what this is and how it works. What can I do to help you with findin' the cure?"

"You want to help with the science-y stuff? The paper work?" Warren was staring at Logan in disbelief.

"If I need to."

"Well, there is something you can do for us." Moira paused, coughed, then sat back in her chair. "I'm exhausted. Warren is wonderful, but he doesn't have the knowledge and experience needed for this. We need another genetically-trained mind."

"I don't think that would be me…" Logan shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and tried not look as embarrassed as he suddenly felt.

"Probably not, but thank you, Logan." Moira smiled tiredly. "But you know who is? Hank McCoy. We need his help, Logan. Can you convince him to leave to school to come here?" Logan considered Moira's request. Beast was supposed to stay at the school to stop the government from doing anything rash to the mutants there. But, if he was able to help with the cure it wouldn't matter anyway, since the school wouldn't need the protection then. It was probably a long shot, but -

"I'll talk to him."


End file.
